Swear It Again
by yshann77
Summary: Piper was the girl who befriended Victor Creed and Logan. Their friendship was tested when they passed obstacles along the way. But as their feelings started to change, things got complicated. THE END IS HERE! be ready for a sequel.
1. Part One: THE PAST

**Well...it is the first time that I made a X-men fanfic so please tell me if I did something wrong or if I got the name wrong...It would really help if you would also tell me what you think about the story...Anyway please enjoy!** ^_^

Part One: THE PAST

"Hurry up," a voice rung in the nearly deserted forest. A girl who was about 12 years old whipped around as she heard the voice. It seemed like there were people running away again. She looked around as her small feet padded softly on the leaf-covered floor of the forest. They're getting nearer, she thought. Quickly looking around, she tried to pinpoint the direction of where they were coming from. When she turned, she heard a voice inside her head.

"_Can we get away from these jerks?"_

The girl moved west, where she thought the sound was getting louder. She was wondering who would be running away, and during winter in the dead of the night. She smiled when she realized that the runaways were two young boys that were brothers. As she continued walking, she caught a glimpse of two boys running as fast as they could. The smaller one was wearing a red robe. He looked sick. The other one, the taller boy, was pulling the younger one.

"In that kind of situation, they will easily get caught by their hunters," she said to herself. "Well, it doesn't hurt to help them."

She got out of her hiding place and followed the siblings. The two boys stopped in a corner so that they could catch their breath.

"Do you think we lost them?" asked the younger one.

The bigger one shook his head. "I don't think so. I think we better continue running or else the dogs might catch our scent and be able to track us down."

"I think that the two of you can't run anymore," said the young girl, letting her form be seen by the two brothers.

The older one hovered over his smaller brother as soon as they saw her. "W-who are you?" he asked.

The girl smiled. "My name is not important right now. The most important thing is for the two of you not to get caught. Just follow me."

She turned around and jogged towards the same path she used everyday. She didn't look back to check if the two boys followed her. It was up to them to decide if they want to trust her, and besides, she could always read their thoughts.

The two boys looked at each other. "Should we follow her," asked the younger one.

The older one looked at him and then to the girl. "Well, I think we could trust her and besides, we don't have a choice, do we?"

The younger one put on a determined look and nodded his head. Within some seconds, they caught up with the girl.

"Glad you caught up with me," she said with a smirk.

"As if we have any choice," the older one said, glaring at her. He was not letting his guard down to this mysterious girl, but still there was something from her that made you feel like everything will be all right.

She stopped and looked around. She spotted a small wooden cottage made out of logs. "Let us hide in there," she said to them.

The two brothers looked at each other, unsure if they were making the right decision. "I think we better follow her. We don't have any choice," the older one whispered. The younger one just nodded his head. They entered the cottage where the girl quickly locked the door.

The cottage as a whole was only one room, but had all the necessities. There was a sofa facing a fireplace in the middle of the room, and the sofa's back faced two windows that were on either side of the front door. On the right side was a cot; while on the left side was the kitchen, with a table and a chair.

"Well, I think we will be safer in here," she said with a friendly smile. "By the way, I am Piper."

The older boy glanced at her cautiously, he was not yet sure if the girl was someone to be trusted. After giving her one more curious look, he finally relaxed a little. "I am Victor, and this is my younger brother Logan."

Logan gave Piper a small smile. Piper smiled back. It seemed like Logan and her were almost the same age. "Nice to meet the two of you," she said. A gunshot echoed in the forest. It seemed like the people who were following Victor and Logan were not giving up, yet.

Piper took a peek outside one of the windows. Sure enough, she could hear the violent thoughts of other people. "We better hide. They might see us if they look inside."

Victor and Logan looked at each other and nodded. Logan hid under the cot since he was small enough to get under it. Piper hid behind the sofa with Victor. Everything was silent and still as they waited for their predator to come to them. Everyone held their breath.

Victor silently peeked over the sofa to see if someone was looking inside the windows. There was no one checking the place. He looked at Piper and kept his deep voice low, "I think they are gone now," he whispered. When he was about to get out of his hiding place Piper stopped him.

"Wait, someone is coming over here," she hissed pulling him back into hiding. They waited until they saw a shadow of a man looming on the hard wood floor. It was a good thing the moon was full and bright, serving as light for the three children.

"They're not here," the man said. Judging by how he said it, it seemed like his companions were far away from the cottage.

As their predator went away, Logan began to cough. His throat was dry and the dust seemed cloud around him under the cot and stick in his throat. Victor quickly went to his brother and helped him out of his hiding place. "You alright?" He asked the pale boy.

Logan smiled at him. "Yeah."

Piper looked at them with an amused expression. She had seen one of Logan's memories, and this had made her intrigued. "Are the two of you mutants?" she asked out of the blue.

The two boys looked at her with a weird expression. "What do you mean?" asked Victor, raising an eyebrow.

Piper smirked. "I mean do you have a special ability?"

Logan looked at his brother. The boy didn't know if he should trust this girl or not. He was confused since she was surrounded by a calm aura, and people weren't usually calm around mutants, especially ones like his brother Victor. He waited for his older brother to decide whether to tell her or not.

"What if we say yes? Will you surrender us to those men?" Victor said with great disdain coating his voice.

"What if I say I am also a mutant?" Piper asked playfully. She just loved to play tricks on people.

The two of them held eye contact for a moment. Logan was baffled. What was going on in their heads?

Victor looked at her, as if he was trying to figure out who she was and what she was by simply staring her down. Normally, he would easily read the personality of a person by just looking at their eyes, but this girl didn't seem to be normal. She was mysterious and hard to read.

Piper chuckled under her breath. "The two of you are very amusing. Your thoughts are really interesting," she said.

The two brothers looked at each other. They were clearly confused about what she had said, but then everything seemed to click inside Victor's head. "You can read minds?" he asked, keeping his voice from slipping away. Sometimes little things tended to excite him.

Piper smiled playfully. "What if I tell you I don't?"

Victor rolled his eyes. "Stop fooling around, will you? We're tired and hungry since we had been running for hours and it's freezing outside." He looked at his pale little brother; Logan was surely exhausted by now. His eyes seemed to be drooping as if he couldn't keep them open any longer.

Piper looked down at her feet guiltily. The girl knew how they were feeling. She could read it in their thoughts, and because she also had experienced a similar situation and couldn't help but sympathize with the boys. Although she wasn't lucky enough to find anyone who could help her escape the bad guys. She had run as fast as she could for almost a whole day, but the men that were chasing her hadn't given up until she hid herself under a burrow. "Well, I could at least give you some food," she said with a sheepish smile.

Logan's face lit up as he heard the word food. It seemed like it had been weeks since he had last eaten his supper. He looked at Victor with a hopeful expression, waiting for his response. Victor looked at Piper, trying to see if she was trustworthy, but still she was hard to understand. "Sure, why not?" Victor said with a little smirk.

Piper smiled and went to the kitchen to open the refrigerator, revealing a stack of food. "We're lucky that there is food in here," she said cheerfully. Looking back at them, she asked conversationally, "What would you like to eat? Steak or turkey?"

Victor and Logan looked at each other surprised. What was she talking about? How could a girl that age be able to cook something like that? This was not even their house. What if the owner returned and saw them? They would be dead meat.

Piper laughed. "Don't worry. This house had been abandoned last month. The old man who used to be living in here was captured. He was a friend of mine so he told me that I could use his house anytime." She gave them an assuring smile. "The two of you just take a rest. Just leave everything to me."

Logan and Victor gave her one last look, making sure she was occupied with cooking, before they turned their backs to her and huddled close. "Do you think she could be trusted?" Logan whispered as they headed towards the cot.

"Sh, remember she can hear what we think, so we better just put that out of our minds," Victor said, looking cautiously at Piper. She was trying to stifle a giggle. Guess she read our minds, he thought, quickly becoming frustrated with the girl's power. "Well lay down on the bed, I will just sit on the sofa," Victor offered. Logan gratefully agreed with him without a word. The small boy laid himself down on the makeshift bed and immediately closed his eyes. Just as he realized that he hadn't bothered to take off his shoes, fatigue took over him and he forgot about it, quickly falling to sleep.

Victor sighed and sat down on the sofa. It was cold inside since the fireplace wasn't lit. Still feeling indecisive about the mutant girl, Victor resolved to try and stay awake. He looked at Piper as she stood watching food flying around the small kitchen area. He suddenly became alert. What was happening? Why wasn't she doing anything? It was as if she was controlling everything with her mind.

Piper turned around as she felt the surprised thoughts of Victor, "Why?" she inquired.

"H-how did you do that?" he asked, a little shaken from what he was seeing.

Piper laughed and moved to sit beside the older boy. The steak continued cooking itself. "I can control things with my mind as long as it's inanimate."

Victor's jaw dropped opened. How come she has all those cool abilities? It seemed unfair. The older boy was about to say something, but nothing came out. He didn't know what he was feeling. Is he feeling angry? Afraid? Surprised? Shocked? Or…excited?

Piper frowned at him, "I can't understand what you are feeling," she said with frustration. It was obvious that she was trying to read his blurred thoughts. But he was thinking too quickly for her to focus on anything going on in his mind, it was as if Victor couldn't decide what to think for himself. "Me neither," he said.

Suddenly Piper jumped up and announced, "Food is served." She rushed toward the kitchen where the table was arranged with three plates of mouth-watering steak and tall glasses of milk.

"How so fast?" Victor asked.

Piper winked at him. "I've been taking care of myself for a while now, I'm an expert. Now, go wake your brother." She sat in one of the chairs and politely waited for them, smiling cheerfully.

Victor tried hard not to laugh at her actions, although he still was not yet sure if he could trust her. The boy stood up and went over the bed where Logan lay asleep. He reached out one clawed hand and shook his brothers shoulder gently. "Wake up," he spoke softly.

Logan just stirred and didn't wake up. He muttered something about not being able to drink his medicine at the right time.

"Jimmy, wake up. The food is cooked," Victor said, this time a bit louder. He shook Logan's shoulder more roughly.

Piper smiled, she didn't need to ask who Jimmy was. It was obvious that Jimmy was Logan, since Victor's mind was now easier to read. She went over the two brothers and murmured quietly to Victor, "He's dreaming something good."

He looked at her, puzzled. "What did you say?"

"I said, Logan is dreaming something that is good and he doesn't want it to stop."

The older boy suddenly got pale. "Does that mean he's dying?" He looked at Logan who was sleeping very peacefully. He grasped both his shoulders this time, unconsciously extending his claws enough to bite into the fabric of Logan's shirt, and started to shake his shoulders roughly…very roughly.

Piper laughed, "That is not what I meant, idiot. What I mean is, he wanted some more time to sleep, not that he will never wake up again."

Victor's color returned to his face, glad to hear that he was just okay. "Well, what do I do?"

"Why don't I try waking him up?"

Victor hesitated to say yes.

Piper noticed how he didn't seem comfortable and said with assurance, "I will not hurt him."

Victor sighed, it didn't seem like he had a choice again. He reluctantly moved away from the cot. Piper stayed in her place and closed her eyes to concentrate; she needed to focus her mind on Logan's. _Wake up._

Suddenly, the boy opened his eyes, startled to hear a voice inside his head. "W-who's that?"

Piper smirked before opening her eyes to see Victor staring at her with his wide ones. He just couldn't believe what he was seeing. She just closed her eyes, and Logan woke up. Looking at his brother he asked, "What are you talking about Jimmy?" This was to check if Piper really was the one who woke him up.

Logan looked at him with large blue eyes, "I heard someone say wake up. It was a girl's voice." He looked at Piper who was still smirking and continued, "The voice reminded me of you, since it sounded familiar."

Victor redirected his gaze to Piper, so she really was the one who woke him up, he thought with awe. Clearing his throat, he wondered why this girl who seemed so helpless and weak could do such amazing things with her ability. "How did you do that?" he asked.

"I can send my thoughts to other people if I concentrate hard. But I can only send a word or two to someone, it's difficult."

Victor and Logan looked at each other. The both of them were thinking the same thing. Piper was amazing. Her ability just suited her well. Victor was a little envious of her strange mutant talent, but he shrugged the thought away as quickly as it had formed. He just didn't have to have that kind of ability. He was satisfied with his power. Almost.

"Well, let's eat," Piper said cheerfully, pulling Logan and Victor towards the table. Logan and Victor looked at their dinner, it was steak bathed in gravy. Even if there were no side dishes, they were already content with steak that looked a hundred more times tasty than any other steak they have had. Piper smiled at them in triumph, "Well, bon appetite."

The two brothers didn't hesitate digging in to their meal. It was tasty. The meat was cooked perfectly and the gravy was a creamy compliment to the steak. All in all, their dinner was perfect for the two carnivores.

After they had finished eating, Logan and Victor leaned back in their chairs with a happy sigh. They were full, the dinner they ate had been very delicious. Piper looked at them with interest as she started reading their memories.

"So, how come you are here and not in your house?" Victor asked out of the blue.

Piper looked at him and replied, "Well, I ran away from home, just like the two of you. I have also experienced being chased by the townspeople you once thought to be kind neighbors into the forest, but I wasn't fortunate enough to meet anyone to help me escape."

"Why did you run away?" Logan asked.

Piper looked down at her hands. She had been afraid that they were going to ask that, "I accidentally killed somebody."

Victor looked at Logan and all the blood seemed to drain away from his childish face. It was obvious that he still hadn't recovered from what had happened between him and they're father.

"Why?" Logan asked. If he was honest with himself, he felt relieved to learn that he was not the only kid who had killed someone, but she was still burdened by the act. He never knew he could be such an animal, killing someone with his own hands.

"Because my power was awakened at a bad time. Before I knew what was happening to stop it, I lifted a knife with my mind and stabbed a person. I was just so angry at them that I wished she would just die and my power was born."

"Since when did that happen?" Victor asked. Things were getting interesting.

"Maybe when I was just eight or nine years old," she answered.

Logan felt sorry for her, being at such an incredibly young age but still having to keep that burden within herself. What made it worse was that she didn't have anyone to stand by her. He looked at Piper with sudden determination, as if what he was going to say would take every ounce of his courage. "Would you like to be with us?" he asked.

Victor shot him a look. He was shocked to hear that his brother was inviting this stranger to join them. What made him even more unhappy to hear was that because he will be the oldest and that meant he had to guide the two of them when he, himself, didn't have any idea of what they will do.

Piper looked unsure. "I don't know if your brother would like that. Besides, I'm fine being alone."

Logan looked at Victor pleadingly, "You wouldn't mind, would you?" he asked.

Victor looked at him doubtfully before glancing at Piper. He didn't want to have someone tag along with them since it will just make him worry more, but when he looked at Piper, he was struck with the gravity of her situation. She still needed somebody to look after her since she was still a kid, but she had survived in the woods by herself this whole time. Well, if she knew how to live alone in this kind of place, then it will never hurt to bring her along with us, he thought.

Victor looked at Logan and then to Piper, smiling just enough to reveal two sharp canines, "Sure. Why don't you tag along with us?"

Logan's face lit up with a huge grin. His expression was priceless. The boy was really happy to have a friend like Piper join them in their journey.

Piper gave Victor and Logan a shy smile and said, "Thanks." She felt like her heart had been freed from a small cage within her. Nothing but gratitude shone in eyes as she looked towards the two brothers, they just made her feel as if she was as free as a bird. She was really thankful to the two of them. For the past few years, she had been alone. Before, she thought she would never remember what it felt like to be happy again, but as Victor let her join their company, she instantly knew that she would find happiness with them. She just couldn't stop smiling.

"You don't have to thank us," Logan said.

Victor just smirked. The older boy felt satisfied once he let Piper join them, he couldn't explain it, but he felt as if now things will eventually get better as long as she was there with them…

**Well what do you think?....is it interesting?.....or does it sucks?**

**Beta read by: Miechieco**


	2. Part Two: FEW YEARS LATER

**Well this is the second chapter and yet I still need you to tell me if I had committed a mistake with the personality of a character or if you think something like this is impossible to happen in a X-men movie....Anyway please enjoy!^_^**

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**Part Two: FEW YEARS LATER

"You've got to be kidding me," Piper nearly shouted in the stuffy bookstore she was currently browsing in, the three of them had gone out for a few errands. Logan and Victor just went out to buy themselves some meat since they had run out of their stock. When the two boys returned, or should I say men, they were fidgeting with excitement. They didn't have to tell Piper why they were so happy since they knew that she would be reading their minds again.

"We are not joking. There are men down the road recruiting soldiers who are strong and healthy, who know how to fight," Logan said with a wide grin.

"But if the two of you leave, then I'll be lonely. Who would live with me inside that house? You guys are the only ones I know in this town. And even if our neighbors knew me, they would probably just gloat about their social status over me," Piper protested, pouting slightly. "That doesn't sound like much fun," she huffed, clearly not in the mood to read anymore.

Victor rolled his eyes. It had almost been seven years since they had all met each other. Ever since they had run into one another in the woods that fateful night, their bonds had only grown stronger. They knew each other's secrets as if they were their own. Piper felt almost like a sister to Victor and Logan. The three of them lived together in a small house near the town but not in the town, since they didn't want anyone to intrude and find out they weren't human.

Without Piper, Logan thought, he would be lying in the streets starving.

"Oh come on Piper, we have gifts because we need to use them," Victor drawled with a bored expression. Since he was the oldest amongst the three, he was sort of like the leader of their small group, and felt he knew what was best for them.

Piper huffed, "Well, if you are going, then I am too," she said stubbornly.

Logan bit his tongue to prevent himself from laughing, "That is impossible."

She glared darkly at Logan, who fell silent. Then she turned to Victor, "What if the two of you got hurt, then I will be left alone in this stupid place."

Victor smirked, "Who said that we'll get hurt?"

"But why do you need to fight?" she asked, without thinking. Even as she asked that question, she already knew the answer. It was ringing loud and clear inside their minds.

"Because we were born to do so," said Victor.

Piper looked torn when she heard Victor's reply and glanced at Logan. Usually, Logan was always on the same side as her, but this time, she could hear his voice inside his head saying: _We're brothers and brothers protect each other_. Logan gave her an assuring smile. _Everything will be alright_. His calm voice echoed inside her thoughts. She bit her lower lip, trying hard not to cry. "Fine, do what ever you want. We're not kids anymore after all," she said, attempting to keep her voice from quivering.

Even if Victor couldn't read other people's minds like Piper, he already knew what she was thinking. They had lived together now for a very long time, and he knew her well. Growing up together, he thought, had turned Piper into and open book. He could practically read her mind himself like she could his own. But no one else, not even Logan who was usually on her side, could do the same as easily as Victor could.

It was as if her mind were a book written in a hand legible to Victor alone.

When they went back home, no one dared to discuss the upcoming war. Piper was quiet the whole time, even when she cooked dinner. Usually she would talk a lot whenever she was preparing a meal. Logan seemed to not be in a normal mood either.

Whenever he got home, he would always light a fat cigar and read the newspaper but this time, he didn't do anything. He just sat there staring at Piper and Victor, who kept on glaring at each other. He felt like they were having a private conversation within their minds.

That's what the two of them usually did whenever they were exchanging angry looks with each other. Thanks to Piper perfecting her ability over time, she was now able to send full sentences instead of a few words to another persons conscious, allowing her to have full on disagreements with Victor without saying a single word aloud.

This made Logan feel left out, but as time passed, he figured that they were just trivial spats where they insulted one another. He was sure that if something was really bothering them, they would let him in on it.

Silence surrounded the trio as Piper and Victor's glares started to get more tensed. Logan watched helplessly, not knowing what would happen next. He was not used to the strained atmosphere in the house. The silence was suddenly broken when Victor pounded his clenched fists on the table so hard that it cracked down the middle and collapsed. Piper's stare blazed with more ferocity.

"I can't understand you at all," Victor growled out. He then turned and stomped heavily upstairs towards his room and slammed the door hard enough to rattle the whole house. Piper gnawed on her lower lip angrily with her teeth. She had never been so mad at Victor since she's known the hotheaded mutant. She was used to getting into arguments with him, but they had never lasted this long before.

Logan, having stood up after being startled by Victor's sudden decision to redecorate the kitchen, looked at her worriedly, "You alright?" he asked.

Piper looked at him with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "Y-yeah. I am fine," she said calmly.

Logan was concerned. For him, she was still difficult to read. She always put on a fake smile so that she could cover up what was really on her mind, and it made him feel like a bad friend. He frowned when her smile faltered and a strangled sob escaped her lips, she wiped her eyes with the back of one small hand.

"Why am I crying like a baby over such a stupid thing?" she asked herself, frustrated.

Logan quickly went over her and pulled her close with one strong arm slung over her shoulders. "Don't worry. Just let your tears out. I don't know how long you had been holding this back, but everything is going to be okay. We're not going anywhere yet, I'll be here," he said comfortingly.

Logan hadn't seen her cry like this for the last five years. She never liked to show her tears to anyone, ever since she had had to experience hardships that struck her with such grief that it made her swear she would never let life get her that down again. Until now…

Piper tried to stop crying, but the tears kept resiliently rolling down her cheeks. She leaned in on Logan's chest and hid her face with her arms. She stayed like that for some time, buried in Logan's arms, sobbing. It may have been a strange thought, but even though he was standing right there, with a firm hand patting her comfortingly on the head, she didn't want him to actually _see_ her cry. Logan seemed to not mind this, and rested his angular jaw atop her hair as she continued to weep silently.

Victor had been watching the two of them secretly. Right when he was about to apologize to Piper, she suddenly broke down. Of course he would be by her side immediately if that were just the case, but the event that actually prevented him from doing anything, was when Logan had put his arms around her and his face in her hair. He felt a little awkward watching the two of them. There was a quiet, jealous rage building inside his heart, growing stronger as he stood, hot enough to make his blood boil and make him want to crack open somebody's skull.

This was his fault after all. He had started the argument first and said that she was just a useless person who depended too much on other people. He had been the first one who told her she was weak. And Victor knew she resented him for it. He crept thought the trees and back to his room as quietly as he could.

That night, they had eaten dinner separately, Piper inside her room, and Victor inside his. Logan ate alone in the living room, and afterward did the dishes by himself. He figured the both of his companions wouldn't be feeling up to doing chores. After washing the dishes, he examined the destroyed table. It wasn't the first time that the dinning area had turned into shambles, he thought. Some fights often grew too intense and they would forget to not use their abilities inside the house. Everything was silent as he continued to scrub one particularly dirty dish with a soapy rag until he suddenly heard a floorboard behind him creak, he whipped around to see a familiar figure towering over him.

"How's Piper?" Victor looked tired.

Logan shrugged and dumped the dish he was working on in the sink to cross his arms over his chest and look at his brother disapprovingly, "Did you know that she cried as soon as you got to your room?"

Victor stared at him blankly. Of course he knew. "No," he lied.

"You better apologize to her. I don't know what the two of you were arguing about, but she was deeply hurt by what ever you said."

Victor glared at him, "As if she was the only one who was hurt," he snapped.

Logan snarled, "You said something to her that made her hurt more. She hasn't been that upset in ages, and it's your doing."

"Fine, I'll go apologize," Victor said grumpily and made his way upstairs to the room at the end of the hall. It was his fault for hurting Piper, he resolved as he took a deep breath before knocking on the door. Well here we go, he thought. "Hey open up."

Piper opened the door. She looked like nothing had happened, like she hadn't cried at all. Victor peered into her room and saw that she was reading books again, "Yeah I forgive you," she said.

Victor gave her a smile just wide enough to reveal his fangs, "You love reading minds don't you? Just like how you love reading books."

Piper crossed her arms. "No, I don't. I just can't avoid it. Your thoughts keep pouring inside my head."

Victor patted her lightly on the shoulder. "Well, I want to apologize to you. I want to say it aloud so that you can hear I mean it." He took a breath; he'd have to swallow his pride for now. "_I am sorry._ I shouldn't have said something like that."

Piper smiled sadly, "I think what you said was true. I am weak, always depending on someone else. I'm also sorry if I said something that hurt you."

"_Logan is better than you. He understands me more than you do, idiot!" _

When Piper said that in their argument, it was like a button had been pressed inside Victor's head. It made him madder. That was when he started telling her she was weak and useless.

Victor snapped back from his thoughts and smirked at her, "Well, you are forgiven, but this time it's your fault that the table got destroyed."

Piper laughed, and her laughter rang inside Victor's head like bells. He smiled, liking to hear her laugh. She looked at him, "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to let you two go off into battle, right?"

_Three days later…_

"Make sure you both come back home! Don't let yourselves be killed or else," Piper said as she hugged Logan and Victor. They were in the train station with many other soldiers that were saying goodbye to loved ones.

Logan smiled. "Or else you won't cook tasty dinners again?" he joked.

Victor patted her on the back, "Don't worry, stupid, nothing will happen to us. We are special after all."

Piper stuck out her tongue, "Whatever you say, idiot." She smiled, "You both better get back here alive and in one piece."

Victor smirked, showing off his glistening white fangs, while Logan simply said, "We better get inside the train. We don't want to be abandoned by our comrades."

After the three of them said their goodbyes, Victor and Logan ran towards the train. Before stepping up the platform, Logan waved at Piper and grinned as she waved back. Victor saw this and decided to indulge in a last minute farewell too, but he didn't wave at Piper. He let her read his thoughts. _"See you later, stupid." _He didn't have to wait long to hear her reply echoing in his mind, _"See ya later too, idiot."_

The train started to move, and Piper watched as the train disappeared from view, feeling as if her heart had sunk to the pit of her stomach. There were many crying women, but she held her head high and grit her teeth, she refused to look as weak as the families around her did. A shaky sigh snuck past her lips. _I should get used to being alone. This will be merely their _first_ battle, and there are more wars to come_, she thought.

Piper headed back to the house, and immediately became uncomfortable with the eerie silence inside. She was used to the crinkling of a newspaper in Logan's hand, or the constant harsh scraping sounds Victor made whenever he sharpened his claw-like-nails. She looked around the gloomy home, missing them already. The girl made her way wearily to the nearest piece of furniture, the couch, and collapsed, swiftly drifting off to dreamland.

An hour had passed before Piper was awoken by a knock at the door. She stood up, alert. Who would have any reason to be here? She peered out the window and saw no one. Piper raised an eyebrow as her confusion grew when she opened the door to find nobody. She was about to close it when a small woman stepped into view. She was blonde with almond shaped baby blue eyes. Her features were angelic enough to confuse her with a collectors doll come to life.

"W-who are you?" asked Piper, surprised to see someone.

The woman smiled. "I live near your house. You know, the daughter of the farmer."

Piper gave her a puzzled look.

"I am the daughter of you neighbor," the woman said impatiently.

"Oh, I see. You mean old man Rudolph?" Piper said, remembering the elderly farmer who had on occasion given them cheese and other home made gifts. He was a kind man, also providing small trinkets of food when they had been younger and struggling. "What brings you here?"

The woman peered inside the quiet house, "Wouldn't it be much better if you let me inside?" she said.

Piper shrugged, opening the door wider to let her through. A foreign female voice said snidely inside her head, _"What a weird woman."_

Piper frowned at the woman who was looking around the living room as if she disapproved. Of course their house may be small and a little dusty, plus the broken dinner table that was shabbily fixed up by Logan and Victor was still placed in the kitchen, but by the way the blonde moved about, casting a withering look in every other direction she could, it was like their house could have been better off on fire.

"So, is there something you need?" Piper asked. She was starting to grow annoyed at what this stranger was thinking. She kept grumbling on about how messy the place was, as if there was no woman living in close quarters.

Piper focused on her closely, raking through the woman's mind to find her name. She had to skip through a few memories at first, but then discovered the pretty blonde on her doorstep was called Alice.

"Well, I learned from my father that your boys volunteered in the war," she said. The way she said boys made Piper think she was disgusted by it.

"So what about it?" asked Piper.

Alice's perfect rose petal lips twitched, "Well I've taken some interest with the older one. What was his name again? Vicky? Victor?"

"It's Victor," Piper informed impatiently.

"Ah yes, it is Victor."

Piper rolled her eyes. What did this woman want?

"Well, I didn't have the courage to ask you when they were still here, but now that they're gone, could I ask you what Vicky—"

"Victor," Piper corrected.

"Yes, Victor. Could I ask you what Victor likes and what he dislikes about a girl?"

Piper looked at her incredulously. "Huh?"

Alice smiled prettily, "Well, if you don't know then I could find out myself. I just thought you knew since the two of you are siblings."

Piper laughed, "The two of us? Siblings? That is impossible."

Alice's award winning grin turned into a look of puzzlement.

Piper, needless to say, was enjoying Alice's confusion. "You see, we are just best friends. Since we've been little we've lived together as orphans. Logan and Victor are siblings, but I still feel like we are brothers and sisters, we have been together for several years after all."

"Does this mean," she muttered to herself in fearful realization, "that Victor and Piper have been deeply in love with each other?"

"Whatever you're thinking you're wrong. We think of each other as brother and sister only, so you don't have to worry about anything. He's still free."

Alice looked relieved upon hearing her words. "Oh thank goodness."

Piper gave her playful smile.

Alice looked outside at the setting sun in the quickly darkening sky, "Oh, I think I should leave now. It was nice talking to you Miss…?"

"The name is Piper."

"Of course, well then see you tomorrow Miss Piper. I enjoyed talking to you."

As soon as Alice left, Piper breathed a sigh of relief. Alice was planning to visit again tomorrow. Piper rolled her eyes, the two of them had better get back here fast, she thought. She really missed the two of them already. If they hadn't gone in the first place, then Alice wouldn't have had the courage to visit...

When she was about to cook dinner for herself, she realized that she didn't even know what Victor liked about a woman. She didn't even know what type of woman Logan liked either. What do I care of what type of girl they like, she thought. She shook her head and continued cooking (or should I say controlling the kitchen utensils to cook for her).

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**So what do you think? Please review and tell me if it sucks...^^**

**Beta read by: Miechieco**


	3. Part Three: WEEKS LATER

**Thanks for the helpful and inspiring reviews...I would try my best to make this story better....Anyway, I have a question. Who do you think Piper would end up with? To Logan or Victor? oh and another thing...what do you think if I change the title of this story into 'HIS PRECIOUS WEAKNESS'....I think the title 'SWEAR IT AGAIN' doesn't suite this story...anyway please enjoy! ^_^**

Part Three: WEEKS LATER

Weeks have passed since Logan and Victor left Piper for the war. They had been sending letters to each other with the two brothers taking turns writing down what had been happening in battle. Piper, on the other hand, always wrote down what she had been doing while they were away. She wrote about everything, except the part where Alice visited her daily. Alice wanted her presence to be a secret, so Piper didn't say a word about it.

"Do you think he prefers women who wear perfume or not?" Alice asked Piper, who was pruning the garden behind the house.

She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead with a sweaty palm, "Well, I don't know his specific type. He never told me anything about it."

"Oh," Alice said, slightly disappointed.

Piper was growing tired of doing the household chores alone. Sure she could always use her ability, but Alice was always around so she didn't have any choice but to do it the old fashion way. She looked at Alice who was examining the plants. She was also getting tired of answering all of Alice's questions. It was getting on her nerves. Sometimes, Piper would wish that she could at least shut that stupid mouth of hers.

"So how have they been doing in the war?" Alice asked. "Do you think they'll be fine? I'm getting worried for Vicky."

Piper sighed. Alice had continued calling Victor, Vicky. "You mean Victor," she corrected.

"Vicky and Victor sound the same anyway," Alice said haughtily. Piper was sure that she was embarrassed for saying the wrong name again.

"Well, I think I'm going to go cook lunch for now," Piper informed the girl, hoping she'd go away. She never liked it when Alice asked her about the war. Piper didn't know why, but discussing how the two brothers were doing made her feel uncomfortable.

Alice gave her a smile, "That's a good idea. I might as well eat my lunch with you. You are alone after all. I'm sure you will not mind," she said, already leading the way inside.

Piper's mouth dropped open, unable to believe what she had just heard. Usually, whenever Piper would cook lunch, Alice would go back to her own home, but this time, she invited herself to lunch with Piper. Once she recovered from the shock and got to the house, Alice was already preparing lunch.

"If you don't mind, I could be the one who will cook lunch for you, since you look tired and all. I also wanted to thank you for being helpful," Alice said.

The mind reader was surprised to hear that Alice was going to show gratitude to her by preparing her lunch, maybe she wasn't that bad after all. "Are you sure?" Piper asked, astonished.

"I am sure, silly."

Piper still looked at her, well it never hurt for her do some work, she thought. "Okay," she said, "If you have any problems just tell me. I'll be outside."

The blonde didn't take her eyes off to what she was doing. "Oh, sure," too busy to even spare a nod at the retreating girl.

Before leaving, Piper glanced over her shoulder at Alice, "Are you really sure that you want to cook lunch?"

She didn't answer, but Piper took that as a yes. The only thing that was inside Alice's head right now was to cook. So she left the house to wander. Everything seemed to be so peaceful at the moment. She was expecting to receive a letter from Logan and Victor again soon. The mailman seemed to be late today, she thought sadly. Piper missed them so much that she often retreated into her memories of when they were together.

The last letter she had received from them was two days ago. It was in Logan's handwriting, saying that they were fine and had made friends with some fellow soldiers. He also told her that Victor and himself were among the strongest in the fleet, since they hadn't been able to contract a single wound. Victor was having the time of his life out on the battlefield. Logan thought that his brother was really enjoying the war.

Piper smiled as she imagined Logan writing the letter and sighed, recalling their faces made her remember how alone she was. Stupid, she thought as she refocused her attention to the sky. She suddenly envisioned Victor's tall and broad figure with a pointy grin on his face, the brother who would usually talk to her by personal thoughts. Piper smiled and closed her eyes as she thought about something he had said to her when they were still children, he told her that the stars were so far, he wished he could reach them. Maybe when she was about 15 or so.

Piper walked over to a large twisted old tree that looked like it had been there since before their home was built. It's long and winding branches reached out towards the skies. She decided to sit under the cool shade it provided, letting the back of her head come to rest on the base of the trunk. Piper listened to the soft whispers of the wind and the rustling of leaves on the forest floor as she let her eyelids flutter shut, completely relaxed. Then without realizing it, she drifted off to sleep.

Piper was awoken when she heard Alice's thoughts inside her head. _She looks like an angel if she sleeps,_ the shrill voice said. Piper grudgingly opened her eyes to see Alice looking down at her with a huge grin plastered on her face. The sitting girl rubbed her eyes tiredly, still not sure if she was already awake or still asleep. When things started to register clearer, she suddenly stood up, causing Alice to abruptly back away to avoid getting hit.

"Why are you here?" Piper blurted out, not yet realizing that she had fallen asleep under a tree waiting for Alice to make lunch.

The blonde giggled, "Silly, you had only been asleep for a little while and you already forgot about me. By the way, lunch is served." She turned on her heel and made her way back to the house, not bothering to check if the other girl followed.

Piper stared at her disbelievingly for a few moments before opting to follow Alice, who had ended up preparing roast chicken. Piper took a seat and eagerly helped herself with a full helping of the white meat.

"So, what is his favorite food?" Alice asked, looking at her from under her long lashes as she ate her dinner.

Piper didn't have to pause to think about what Victor liked. "He loves to eat steak. He hates vegetables. One time when I cooked all vegetable dishes for lunch, he didn't eat anything. He told me he was a carnivore." She laughed as she recalled his indignant face.

"Oh really," Alice said, interested. "What does he usually do after eating lunch?"

"He would usually sit down on the couch and let the food settle in his stomach, or wash the dishes," Piper responded.

The whole time they were eating, Alice would ask questions about Victor and Piper would answer them without hesitation. She already knew him too well to doubt that her answers were wrong.

When they had finished eating and the dishes were cleaned, Alice was ready to leave. Before she left, she asked the girl in the door way timidly, "Do you think he'll like me?"

Piper was caught off guard with that question, she hadn't really thought of it. If she was honest, she never had a reason to, so she shrugged, "Maybe."

Alice smiled. "Really?! That would be so great. Bye, see you tomorrow!" She dashed off. Piper could still feel her giddiness radiating in the air.

She shut the door and slumped down on the couch feeling dead tired. It had been a very long day from having to deal with Alice she thought, and slung her forearms across her face, blocking out the light. When Piper was about ready to go to her room, she noticed a letter out of the corner of her eye perched on the edge of the table. She picked it up and looked at the back, it was from Logan and Victor. With no time to lose, she focused on the sealed part of the envelope then watched as it steadily ripped from left to right across the top in one swift motion. A thin piece of paper slid out and she snatched it from the air to immediately begin reading it's contents.

The letter was obviously written by Victor, his handwriting was much messier compared to Logan's. Piper could just imagine Victor scrambling to get his words down. The letter said:

_Dear Piper,_

_How have you been? We're fine, thanks for asking. Logan and I find this war interesting and adventurous. And no, nothing bad has happened to us. You may think that we are cold since we are enjoying the fight of this war, what I really mean is, we are enjoying the challenge and the things we do in the camp. Logan and I are doing so great on the battle field, that the higher ranked soldiers even complimented us. We had a comrade we knew who died yesterday. I think his name was Whitney or something. Anyway for the second time, we are fine. Hope that you're well. We miss you._

_Love,_

_Victor and Jimmy_

Piper scanned the page a second time, absolutely beside herself that they were doing okay. She quickly got inside her room and headed straight to her desk. She took out a blank piece of stationary and a pen, quickly getting to work on a reply. Her letter said:

_Dear Victor and Logan,_

_I'm so glad to hear that the two of you are doing great. I am well, thanks for asking. It has been a long time since the two of you left now. Nothing unusual has happened lately, except I felt like sleeping under a tree today. If you are wondering if I'm bored, then to answer your question, yes I am bored. I really wish that this war would end soon. I want you guys back. Wish the two of you lot's of good luck. I miss you both._

_Love,_

_Piper_

Piper put down her pen and read the letter again. She was definitely leaving out the part where Alice had relentlessly interrogated her their whole absence. She put her letter in an envelope and sealed it. After making her way down to the mail box, she wrote down the appropriate address and sent it on its way.

She felt lonelier than she had all week as she returned to her room. The whole house was quiet. The atmosphere didn't feel normal without the chatter of Logan and Victor's minds. Piper let herself fall down on her bed with a plop, feeling empty. The more days that Logan and Victor were gone, the more that she missed them. She didn't know what to do.

**Two days later….**

Victor eagerly ripped open the letter that Piper had just sent them with one protruding claw from his index finger. He had been waiting for it, and hastily skimmed through her neatly written sentences. Logan waited in anticipation for Victor to finish reading. He just missed her so much and wanted a turn to see the paper himself.

Victor frowned once he came to the end of a short paragraph. Something didn't seem right by the way she wrote this one. He felt like she was not telling them the whole story.

Logan got a little nervous when he saw Victor's serious expression and asked, "What's wrong?" When Victor didn't answer him, he snatched the letter from his hands. He read it carefully word for word. When he finished reading it, he looked at his brother in puzzlement. "Why are you frowning? Nothing bad has happened to her."

Victor shook his head. "Of course nothing bad has happened. Didn't you notice anything that made you think that she is hiding something?"

"No," answered Logan. He didn't notice anything peculiar.

"I think she _is_ hiding something, her letter was too short."

"I don't think her letters short, I think you're paranoid," said Logan.

"Well, with that big mouth of hers, she shouldn't be able to contain herself from writing a letter with at least ten pages," Victor joked. He smirked as he thought about what Piper would have had to say to that if she had heard him.

Logan watched his brother, certain that he was thinking about the girl they both left back at home. Logan smiled. Who wouldn't miss someone like Piper anyway?

**Well..what do you think? Please tell me...and oh, don't forget to answer my questions...It would be very helpful if you tell me what you think anyway..thanks for reading this chapter...^^**

**Beta read by: Miechieco**


	4. Part Four: THE RETURN

**Again...Thanks for the helpful reviews that you had given me...It had helped me to pursue writing this story....I will try my hardest to make my story better....I am still open from some suggestion and please tell me if I had done something wrong again so that I could improve my writing...Anyway please enjoy!^_^ **

**(By the way, the italicized words meant that they are talking from the mind.)**

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**Part Four: THE RETURN

Piper impatiently waited in the train station. She crossed her arms and began tapping her foot. Alice was with her since she wanted to 'surprise' Victor. Alice looked at Piper with a disapproving expression.

"Please act like a woman, Miss Piper," she said haughtily.

Piper looked at her. She wished that she could stick out her tongue to her. Alice was getting on her nerves recently. She was getting all bossy and haughty. Piper just rolled her eyes and ignored what she had said. Who was she to tell her what to do anyway?

The train station was full of people who were waiting for their love ones to return. It was eerily silent since all of them seemed to hold their breath as they waited for the train to arrive. Piper on the other hand was not that nervous since she knew that Logan and Victor were going to be alright. Nothing bad will happen to them since they were special.

"I can see the train!" Alice suddenly cried out.

Then the train station had gotten noisy. It seemed like everyone had heard what Alice said since her voice was so loud. Some people looked at the far side of the train tracks to catch the glimpse of the train.

Piper felt the sudden wave of happiness of the people. She knew that it was a nice thing to feel happy, but she find it irritating when she can feel all of the people's feelings at the same time. It felt like she was being hugged by thousands and thousands of people. And she hated it whenever things get too touchy.

As the train got nearer, Piper could already hear the thoughts of the soldiers. All of them were thinking the same thing. They were at home at last.

"Remember what we had planned earlier," Alice reminded Piper.

"Sure," Piper responded, sounding bored. They had talked about it some weeks ago since Alice was getting all excited on meeting her 'prince.' Piper was supposed to introduce her to Victor and then find the right time to leave them alone.

The train stopped and the exhausted soldiers went out. The station was getting crazier and crazier when few people started to cry when they saw their love ones again. Piper just stayed in her place, trying hard to locate the thoughts of Logan and Victor.

"Don't just stand in there. Let us go and find them," Alice said pulling Piper towards the train.

Piper's concentration was broken when Alice started pulling her. _Damn it, it is so crowded. How could we find her?_ Piper freed her hand from Alice's grip. She just heard Victor's thoughts. She looked around. They were near since Victor's thoughts were loud inside her head.

"There they are!" Alice exclaimed pointing at the two brothers that were waiting near the train.

Alice pulled Piper towards the two men. "Remember what I told you," she whispered as they grew nearer to them. Piper rolled her eyes. Really, this girl was getting on her nerves.

Logan caught a glimpse of Piper coming. She was being pulled by a blond petite girl that looked like a painting. He nudged Victor and pointed at Piper. Victor smirked. _There you are,_ he thought, letting Piper to read his mind.

Piper and Alice reached the two of them. Alice flashed them a gorgeous smile.

"Hey guys!" Piper said cheerfully.

"Good to see you again Piper," Logan said giving her a tight hug. He just ignored Alice.

Victor suddenly broke Logan and Piper apart. "What took you so long?" he asked with a smirk.

Piper stuck out her tongue. "Is that how you greet me?"

Victor shrugged. "Maybe."

Piper glared at him. "Then I will not going to let you eat dinner. I will only cook food for Logan if you are like that."

Victor laughed. Logan and Piper joined him in laughing. It had been a long time since they had been able to laugh like that. Suddenly, Victor grabbed Piper and gave her a bear hug. "I missed you," he said. He let her go.

The three of them had completely ignored Alice who was already fuming behind them. She went towards Piper and tapped her shoulders. She cleared her throat. "Piper, I think you hadn't introduced me to your friends yet," she said, faking a smile.

Piper just wished that Alice would just go away. She was already happy to see her two best friends back that she forgot Alice. In fact she intended to forget Alice since she was so irritating.

"Well," Piper said sounding bored, "Guys, this is Alice. Alice this is the guys."

Alice glared at her but then seemed to realize that Logan and Victor were watching. She instantly showed her pleasant smile.

"I mean," Piper said, "This is Alice, a friend of mine that I had met when the two of you were gone. Alice, these are Jimmy and Victor."

Alice didn't wait Piper to say who Victor was. She instantly shook hands with him. "Well, it is a pleasure to meet you Victor. Piper had told me a lot about you."

Victor smirked. Upon learning that Piper had been talking about him made him felt contented. "Really?"

Piper rolled her eyes. She knew what was going on in his mind and she thought that it was an idiotic thing to think about. Logan smiled when he saw the reaction of Piper. Victor was right. She was hiding something from them in her letters, since she hadn't mention that she had found a friend. He nudged Piper and gave her a smile.

Piper smiled back. She knew what was going on his head. So they had noticed from the start. Damn it, she thought. They knew her too well.

"Well, let us head home," Victor said, still smirking. He just couldn't stop smirking and he knew clearly well why but he just shoved it off his mind so that Piper couldn't read it. He didn't want her to know his deepest and darkest secret.

"Well, could I join you?" Alice asked.

Victor looked at her. He was hoping that he could get some time alone with Piper since he hadn't seen her for a long time. Logan was thinking the same thing. He didn't want any visitors right now. He only wanted to spend some quality time with Piper.

"No," Victor said flatly.

Alice gave Piper a look which meant, "Help me." Piper felt the determination of Alice to be closer with Victor. "W-why don't we bring her along?"

Victor raised an eyebrow at Piper. He was sure that she was hiding something. _I am not hiding anything,_ her voice echoed inside his head. He smirked. _Oh really? Why did you just stammer a while ago?_ He thought. He was sure that she was keeping a secret from them and he didn't like it.

_Don't be mad if I am keeping secrets from you. I can do whatever I want to do,_ Piper told him.

Victor growled, not realizing that Logan and Alice were watching them. _Of course you can do whatever you want, but…_

_But what? _Piper snapped. He was making her annoyed.

_Don't snap at me, _Victor said impulsively.

_Look who is snapping back._

Victor scowled at Piper. She was just so stubborn. _Just stop it, okay?_

Piper gave glowered back at him. _Fine._

Victor turned away. "Well, aren't we going now?" he asked grumpily.

Logan looked at Piper with a confused look on his face. He finally realized that Victor and Piper had a 'quiet' argument again. He gave Piper a shrug and then followed Victor. He let Piper and Victor to have some time to reflect on what they had argued about.

Piper rolled her eyes. Victor was such an idiot. She followed Logan and Victor, completely forgetting that Alice was still there.

"Hey what happened?" Alice asked as she caught up with Piper.

Piper shrugged. "I don't know, but if I were you, I will not mess with Victor when he is in that kind of mood."

Alice stopped walking. She was astounded by what Piper had told her. Piper just kept on walking, leaving Alice behind. She didn't care about her anymore. She was just so angry.

When they were in the house, Piper just sat on the couch staring at nothing. Logan was reading the newspaper while Victor was outside of the house. He said told them that he wanted some fresh air.

Logan sneaked a glance to Piper. He was sure that she was reading Victor's mind. He continued reading the newspaper. He didn't want to disturb the two of them when they were in that kind of mood. He gave Piper one last glance before he spoke up. He just couldn't take the silence in the house. "You want to talk about it?"

Piper looked at him. She knew what he meant when he said 'it.' "I don't know."

Logan raised an eyebrow.

Piper sighed. "Fine," she said, defeated. She wanted so badly to tell Logan everything. "Victor is such a pain. He annoys me so much."

Logan bit his tongue to prevent himself from laughing. Who wouldn't get annoyed with Victor?

Piper rolled her eyes. "Anyway, he got mad at me since I was hiding something from him."

"Is that so," Logan said. He was surprised to hear that Piper was hiding something from them. For the past years, Piper had shared them her deepest and darkest secrets to them.

"Not you too," Piper said, frustrated. What if she kept a secret now? The past was the past. Things will eventually change as time passed.

"Okay, okay, I understand. But it is not Victor's fault. Maybe he just got shock or something," Logan said. He was still not used to Piper being able to read his mind even if they had known each other for along time.

"Sorry if I keep on evading your thoughts," Piper whispered.

"It's fine. I know it's not your fault anyway," Logan said. "But if I were you, I will go apologize to him. He didn't do anything bad to you. Maybe he just got a little surprised to know that you are keeping a secret from us. It never hurt to apologize right?"

Piper smiled. Logan could really say something that could make you feel that everything will be alright. She stood up. "Thanks Jimmy. You're such a big help." She went towards him and gave him a hug.

Logan smirked and hugged her too. "Yeah, I know."

Piper let go of him. She was planning on making a special dinner as a sign of peace for Victor. She knew that Victor loves her cooking. He couldn't resist her special steak. She smiled. That was a good idea.

While Piper was preparing their dinner, Victor was lying on the grass just looking at the darkening skies. He couldn't understand why Piper seemed to be slipping away from him. In the old times, Piper couldn't stop herself from telling him everything that she knew. She would usually keep on telling them things that she had heard. Even though he shouldn't know the things she usually tells him, she still share it to him.

The stars were already coming out. The sun had set and he didn't even realize it. Everything was peaceful. If ever a soldier just came back home from a war, he would usually think that he is back home, but to Victor, he still felt like his home was missing since he couldn't feel the warmth of his home.

_Don't be so dramatic._

Victor rolled his eyes. He should know better that Piper would be reading his thoughts again. _Would you cut that out?_

_What would I cut out?_

_Stop intruding my thoughts,_ Victor growled.

_I'm sorry then, _Piper said. _I just couldn't help it._

_What do you want now?_

_Well, I'm preparing steak for dinner so, I thought you might want to know._

As Victor heard that Piper was making steak for dinner, he quickly sat bolt upright. _Did you say steak?_

_Yep, with gravy of course._

Victor smirked. Her cooking could really make him feel better. There was something in her cooking that any chefs in the world didn't have, and that was her love for them.

_As I thought of it. You couldn't resist my special steak._

Victor laughed. _Don't think you have won, yet._

_Whatever you say,_ Piper teased.

Victor smiled. Now he felt that he was back at home.

Dinner was served and the three of them were seated around the table. Victor ate the steak as if he hadn't eaten anything for years.

"Slow down. You might get something stuck in your throat," Piper taunted.

Logan smirked.

Victor ignored her taunting. He wouldn't let her spoil the moment when he had been able to eat something this good again.

"Ah, I now know why," Piper said with smile. She had searched from Victor's head his memories during the war. "The two of you had to eat flavorless food during the war."

Logan looked at Piper. "Bingo."

Victor smiled. "Yup, just like what you had said."

Piper laughed. "No wonder you are eating like that."

**The next day…..**

Victor woke up. The steak from last night's dinner was so good that it made him fell asleep. He looked around. He was in his room. He didn't remember how he got in his room at all. The only thing that he remembered was that he was eating steak while having a conversation with Piper and Logan. He rolled out of bed. He was still wearing the clothes he wore yesterday. He went out of his room and went down. He smelled something was being cooked.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Piper said, not taking her eyes off from the food that was cooking by itself.

Logan was nowhere to be seen. This made Victor wonder where he was.

"He's outside, fixing the table again," Piper informed.

Victor was puzzled.

"Last night, when you said that you were going upstairs you collapsed right on the table so it got destroyed. I think you were tired."

Victor couldn't believe what Piper had just told him. So that was why he didn't remember anything that had happened last night.

"What happened to you? I had never seen you that tired," asked Piper concerned.

Victor shrugged. "I actually don't know too."

Piper gave him one last look until she said that breakfast was served.

"I'll call for Jimmy," Victor said. He wanted to talk to his brother privately.

Piper understood what he meant so she tried to ignore the voiced inside her head. "Sure, I'll keep out of it." During the passed years, she had learned that she could avoid hearing the thoughts of other people if she concentrated hard enough.

Victor went out of the house and headed towards the working area behind it. That was where they usually fix things that they had destroyed. He saw Logan kneeling beside the destroyed table. He was repairing it.

"Hey," Victor greeted.

"Hey," Logan greeted back.

"Piper said that breakfast is served," Victor informed. He didn't know if he it would be the right decision to ask the question he wanted Logan to answer.

"Oh yeah?"

Victor nodded his head. He leaned on the wall beside him. "And, I also want to ask you something." He sounded serious.

Logan looked up. "What is it?"

"Do you think that your feelings towards Piper are changing?"

Logan looked at him with a surprised look on his face. "Why did you ask?"

"Just answer the question," Victor said. He was afraid what his answer will be.

"Yes," Logan said flatly.

Victor's heart seemed to skip a beat. So it was true. He wasn't imagining it. He was not over-reacting. For all this time that Logan was always there with Piper, he had been able to make their relationship stronger. "Is that so?"

Logan shrugged. "Yeah, why did you ask anyway?"

Victor shook his head. "Nothing."

Logan stood up. "Funny how she could read other people's mind, but she still couldn't figure out my feelings for her."

Victor smirked. "I think she just didn't want to figure them out."

Logan walked towards him. "Well then, let's go back."

Victor gave him a quick nod. He turned back and headed inside their house with Logan following him. Victor was now confused. He felt like he was lost. He didn't know what to do…..

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**Well..what do you think?....does this chapter sucks?....anyway, please review..^^**


	5. Special Chapter: PROTECT

**Well, as you could see, this one is just a special chapter, that means, it is sort of like an add leave or something like...(Forgot what it really called..XP) anyway, this event took place when they were still teenagers....I didn't know what I will write in the next episode so...I just made a special chapter so that I could have more time to think about what I will write next....Anyway this special chapter focuses in the relationship between Victor and Piper...(don't be mad if you like Logan/Piper, but don't worry coz in the next special chapter I will focus it between Piper and Logan...) Anyway, please enjoy! ^_^**

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**Special Chapter: PROTECT

Victor was lying on the soft ground that was covered with dead leaves. He looked up the blue skies. All was still and quiet in the forest.

He had just turned 17 that day. For him, 17 was the age where someone becomes a man. He already had the privileges to own a house and find a decent job. He was eager to find a job so that he could buy a house for them to live in. He was tired of running and hiding. He didn't want to live in the forest anymore. The town was too far from them, so it was hard for them to go to work and buy something to eat. He thought about building a house near the town. He thought it would be the best for them.

"Good morning," Piper said, as she crept towards him.

_Damn it, _he thought. He didn't want Piper to read his mind again. He was afraid that it would worry her.

Piper giggled. "You're not that good in hiding your thoughts, but I think you are getting used to it."

Victor sighed. Piper's ability was getting stronger and stronger. She could be able to send her thoughts to other people already, but it needed her full concentration and some of her energy. She could be able to track down other people with her mind as long as they were not that far from her.

"Hey, you are getting stronger too you know," Piper said, trying to be a comfort for him.

"Maybe," Victor said, bored.

Piper punched him lightly on the shoulders. "Yes you are. You had been able to protect of us from harm, at such a young age."

Victor thought about it. He was just about 15 when he started taking care of his younger brother and the younger mutant. "I am not talking about that. I meant about our….abilities."

Piper got what he meant. He had thought that his ability was not strong enough. He thought that it was useless. His power was meant to kill people and not help them. "But, can't you see, your powers could protect the things that are precious to you."

Victor shook his head. He stood up and turned away from Piper. She just didn't know how it felt to have this kind of ability. He gritted his teeth. No one could understand him and his brother. No one had to carry this kind of burden.

"You are not the only one who has a burden," Piper said so softly that Victor thought that she was talking to herself.

"Who else have to carry this kind of burden?" he snapped.

"Don't think that you are the only mutant in this world. You are not the only one who have to carry a something heavy on their shoulders. Even if you are not a mutant, you still have to carry a burden, but even if you carry a burden, no matter how heavy it is, life must still go on."

Victor's anger suddenly left him. He didn't know what he felt, but one thing for certain. He didn't want Piper to know what he was feeling. Without thinking, he ran off. He ran as fast as he could, ignoring the shouts of Piper in his head.

_Where the hell are you going?_

Victor didn't bother to answer her question. He only wanted to have a little peace where no one would intrude his thoughts. _Just shut up. _He was getting tired of being cautious whenever he was thinking. He felt like he was locked up in a cage. He stopped running, trying to catch his breath. He had run far enough. Piper couldn't hear his thought in this kind of distance. Now he could think freely.

_Stupid girl. She talks as if she knew everything,_ he thought, kicking the leaves that were lying on the ground, angrily. His anger had come back. This time, he was angry because what Piper had told him was true. He was not the only one who needed to bear such a heavy burden. He punched the tree near him. He was so angry that he wanted to break someone's skull right now. He punched the tree some more. He calmed down a little bit after destroying the helpless tree. _She DOES know everything,_ he thought, remembering that she could hear people's thought. _She can hear people's thoughts so maybe she would know what their problems are._

Victor leaned on a tree beside the one that he destroyed. He covered his face with his hands and slid down. _I am such an idiot. Running away like that. I should have just faced it. _He sighed. He now felt a little better since he could think breathed in deeply and stood up. He needed to apologize to Piper.

Victor reached home. The sun was already settling down. He could see the moon now. He took a deep breath before getting inside the house. He opened the door and saw that it was empty. It got him baffled. _Where are they? _He got inside and looked around. Logan and Piper were nowhere to be seen. This made him worry. He went out of the house.

"Jimmy, Piper!!!" he shouted, hoping that the two of them would be near enough to hear him. Only silence answered him. _This can't be happening. _He sniffed the air. He couldn't smell Logan or Piper. He started looking for them. This time he went further away from the house, hoping that he could catch the scent of Logan or Piper. He stopped running for a moment to catch his breath. He couldn't trace them. He shook his head. He had to keep trying. When he was about to head south, he smelled the familiar scent of Logan. "Jimmy?!" he asked, as hope flickered.

"Victor?" Logan appeared. He looked exhausted since he had been running around the forest.

Victor smiled as he found his brother. He ran towards him and gave him a hug. "Where have you been?" he asked after giving him a hug.

"I had been looking for Piper. I saw her ran off," he answered.

Victor looked puzzled. "You mean, she wasn't with you?"

Logan shook his head.

"Damn it," Victor cursed. The stupid girl went after him. He should have thought of that.

"What happened, Victor?" Logan asked, worried.

Victor looked at his brother. "She followed me."

Logan gave him a confused expression.

Victor ignored it and continued. "We better look for her. Let us split up. You go that way and I go this way. If you are tired and still didn't find her, just go back at the house and take a rest."

Logan nodded his head. When they were about to part, Victor looked back at Logan. "You know where the house is located, don't you?" he asked Logan.

"Of course I do!" he answered.

"Good," Victor said and he left Logan. He ran until Logan was not visible anymore. He stopped for a moment to sniff in the air. He smelled the faint scent of Piper. He turned to his right, where he thought that he smelled her. He was in the right track since her scent was getting stronger. Then, he froze. Her scent disappeared.

_What the hell…_

He looked around. He was sure that he had just smelled her scent. He sniffed the air. He smelled something unfamiliar. It seemed like there were men. Their scents got mixed, that was why Victor couldn't distinguish whose scent is who. _Piper might be in trouble, _he thought. He fleetingly followed the smell.

The scent got stronger as soon as Victor started to hear voices. As the voices got louder, he could already see the backs of four middle-aged men. They all seemed drunk, judging by their smell. Victor hid, behind a tree.

"Little girl got lost?" a bald man asked someone. Victor couldn't see who he was talking too since, they're covering him...or her.

"I am not lost, sir. I am just looking for a friend of mine," a girl's voice said. Victor instantly knew who she was.

_Come on, read my mind, _Victor said. He looked at the four men again. _They may not be that hard to take down. _He looked at his nails. They were growing longer and deadlier. He looked at the four men. His claws were itching to feel their throat. Without further thought, he stepped out of his hiding place. He went behind the nearest man as quiet as possible.

The man didn't seem to know what hit him. He was just standing there, watching his friends taunt the little girl before the real fun starts, when he felt a searing pain on his throat and before he could even scream, he already died.

The others didn't even notice that one of their friends had already died. Victor stared at his bloodstained hands. It was the first time that he felt blood in his hands. He didn't know what he felt after killing someone, but he only knew one thing, he wanted more. He suddenly forgot why he was fighting all this men. He advanced towards the three other men who were nearer to Piper.

One of the men felt his presence. He turned around to see Victor walking towards them, his hands were covered with blood. The man stared at him wide eyes. He didn't know if he should scream or not. Was he seeing a lunatic that want to kill people? It was obvious that Victor wanted more blood, since it was written all over his face. In fact he looked like a man that would kill anyone who comes in his way. His eyes seemed to be burning with anger and his face didn't seem to welcome friendliness either.

"W-what are you doing here? Who are you?" the man asked. He was surely afraid. His voice shook when he asked it. He finally noticed that their other companion died.

The other men also turned around to see who could be the bastard that would dare to disturb them.

Victor smirked, showing off his fangs. He was not afraid anymore. "I would be your worst nightmare if you touch that girl."

Piper's face appeared, behind the men. She looked afraid and helpless. She was paler than usual and she looked tired.

The bald man laughed. "What did you say, boy? You would be our worst nightmare? That is impossible. Why don't you just turn around and go back to your mommy."

Victor frowned. He didn't like it when people would make fun of him. Without any warning, he pounced at the bald man and cut his throat with his claws. The body of the bald man fell down with a loud thud, lifeless. His companions watched as their friend died in front of them. Piper looked horrified. She was paler than a paper. The sight of blood made her panicked. Victor didn't notice. He looked at the two remaining men. They looked confused and scared. He smirked. They better be scared of him or else. Without thinking, he cut the throat of the two men, ending their lives.

After doing the dirty work, Victor seemed to be wanting more. His claws were screaming for more blood. He didn't know what had hit him. He didn't care. The only thing he knew was that, he still thirsted for blood.

"V-Victor?" a small voice said.

Victor snapped out of it as he realized that Piper was still there. At first, when he fought the men, he forgot why he killed them. He was blinded by blood lust, but as soon as he heard her voice, his mind was cleared. He looked at his bloodstained hands. _What have I done?_ he thought. He looked at Piper who seemed to shrunk back in horror as she witnessed the death of three men. She looked like a helpless little girl.

Victor felt a lump on his throat. "Piper, I...." He didn't know what to say. He looked down. He didn't want her to see him turn into an animal again.

Piper burst in tears. She didn't know why she was crying. She knelt on the ground. She felt like her knees were getting weaker.

Victor watched her helplessly as she cried. Tears flowing down her cheeks. "I am such an animal," he murmured.

Piper wiped the tears on her eyes and tried to calm down. She wanted to say something that could at least convince Victor that he was not a monster, but nothing came out of her mouth.

Victor went towards her and knelt in front of her. The blood that was covering his hands, had dried now. He touched her cheeks and made her look in his eyes. "I would never let you see such horrible thing again," he said.

Piper couldn't answer him. She kept on crying.

Victor then hugged her tightly. He felt like he didn't want to let her go. The two of them stayed like that for a while. No one said a word. They let silence surround them. Victor just hugged her, waiting for her to stop crying. Eversince that day, he had promised to himself that he would do anything to keep her away from seeing him turn into an animal....

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**Well what do you think?...sorry if it's a little corny...Anyway thanks for reading this chapter..^^**


	6. Part Five: IT'S ON

**Hey guys!!!Thanks for the helpful reviews..really they really motivated me to make this story better...anyway I remembered the word that I used to describe the previous chapter....the word was 'adlib'...hehe..i know silly me..forgetting such a simple word...Anyway please enjoy!!! ^_^**

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Part Five: IT'S ON

Piper looked at the mirror. She still looked the same. It seemed like she hadn't aged even for a bit. She cocked her head to one side, looking for any logical explanation that she could come up with.

"What are you doing?" Logan asked, coming up from behind her.

It had already been two months since Logan and Victor had came back from the war. Everything had returned to normal. As the days passed by ever since they had returned, Piper always wondered why Alice never showed up again. The only answer that she could come up with was because Alice had found a better man.

"Nothing," Piper answered him.

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Is that so," he said, a little suspicious.

Piper instantly knew that he didn't believe her so she flashed him a smile.

Logan grinned. "Oh well," he said, changing the subject. "What's for breakfast?"

"Well, what do you want?"

Logan shrugged. "Anything that Victor wants."

Piper smiled. She had noticed that Victor was quieter ever since he had returned from the war. He didn't argue much with Piper anymore than he usually does. When Piper would ask him if something was wrong, he would refuse to answer. This made Piper a little worried. Logan noticed it too. He was afraid that Victor might not be feeling well.

"Where's Victor?" Piper asked.

"Outside," he answered. He picked up the newspaper that was on top of the table and began reading it.

Piper went outside of the house. She saw Victor leaning on the tree. His eyes were closed and it looked like he was sleeping. She went towards him. Usually, when someone approached him during his sleep, he will instantly wake up, but this time, he remained asleep. Piper couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was the first time that she saw Victor looked peaceful. She stared at him. _Victor?_

There was no answer. Piper saw that he was not even dreaming. She looked at him puzzled. For the past years, Victor had been able to master hiding what he was thinking from Piper. He had a lot of secrets that he didn't want her to know—that he was afraid that she will know.

_Victor?_

Victor heard the voice of Piper. He just ignored it. He thought that it was just a dream. He continued to sleep, without dreaming anything.

_Hey Victor!_

Victor still ignored the voice. It was getting on his nerves. He slept some more, ignoring the voice of Piper.

_Wake up, you idiot!_

Victor suddenly realized that Piper was really waking him up. He opened his eyes. He was alert again. It was obvious that he was startled. His eyes were wide as he woke up. He looked around to see Piper beside him. "What the hell was that for?" he asked angrily.

Piper laughed. "I was wondering what you want to eat for breakfast," she said.

Victor rolled his eyes. "You mean, you woke me up just to ask me what I want to eat for breakfast."

Piper nodded her head.

Victor sighed. "Unbelievable," he murmured.

Piper looked at him, waiting to for him to tell her what he wanted to eat.

"Just cook what you usually cook," he answered.

Piper smiled. "Okay." Before she went back inside the house, she looked back at Victor. "By the way, next time if you are going to sleep like that, you better stop saying my name." And she went back inside.

Victor stared at her as she went back inside the house. Did he say her name while he wa sleeping? _Damn it,_ he thought. He looked at the exact spot where Piper stood before she went inside the house. He sighed. He had to guard what he was thinking or else Piper might know what he had been hiding for such a long time already.

**Two days later… (A/N: yeah I know it is going too fast, but I was hoping that I would eventually get to the part where Stryker would get Logan and Victor in his team so…XD)**

Piper stared outside of the house. The skies were gray and it looked like it will rain. Logan and Victor went to town to gather some supplies since winter was already near. She sighed. Seemed like everything was getting boring, she thought. Then, someone knocked on the door. It was a light tap and it sounded timid. Piper instantly knew who it was. Alice had come back! Piper quickly opened the door. Alice stood there. She looked the same. Nothing had changed, ever since that day when Victor and Logan arrived.

"Good afternoon, Piper," Alice greeted with a smile.

Piper smiled back. "Good afternoon to you too."

"May I come in?" she asked.

Piper nodded her head. She opened the door wider for Alice to get inside. Piper closed the door.

"It had been a long time since I had seen you again," Piper said as she turned back to look at Alice.

Alice smiled weakly. She was thinking about how the house seemed to get a little messier since the last time she had visited it. "Well, uh, yes. I had been thinking about Victor recently."

Piper nodded her head slowly. "Do you want some tea?" she asked.

Alice shook her head. She was about to say something, until she heard someone knocking on the door.

Piper almost groaned. Logan and Victor had arrived. She wanted to hear what Alice was about to tell her, but Logan and Victor disturbed her. She looked at Alice and smiled. "I'll go see who it could be," she lied.

Alice nodded her head. She looked nervous.

Piper went towards the door and opened it, to see Logan and Victor. They were carrying some sacks of food. "Welcome back," she said.

"Yeah," Logan said. He entered the house with Victor right behind him. The two of them looked like they had a rough day.

Victor had an angry expression on his face. He had met a man that really made him want to let the animal inside him to get out. That man was so irritating. Good thing Logan was there to prevent Victor from killing the man in front of the whole people.

Victor put down the load he was carrying in the kitchen and went straight up to his room. He didn't seem to notice that Alice was there, sitting on the couch. He was not in the mood to be polite and friendly.

Logan looked at Piper. He was planning to tell everything that had happened during their visit in town, later. Right now, he felt like getting a little rest. He also went up to his room. Everything became eerily silent again. Neither of the two men seemed to notice Alice. This made her quite annoyed.

"Well, what we're you going to say?" Piper asked her.

"I was about to tell you," Alice said, "that I was thinking that Victor is always in my thoughts lately and I am very determined to get his attention."

Piper looked at her. "Your point is?"

Alice looked miffed. How dare Piper to be rude to her. "W-well, I am here to tell you that from now on, I will not lose to a woman like you." She stood up and headed towards the door. "Good day," she said ruefully and left the house.

Piper stared at Alice as she left, looking extremely irked. She found Alice's thoughts funny. Why would Victor like her? Sure Piper like Victor….as a big brother and as a best friend, so why would Alice get jealous over that? Piper and Victor have a very close relationship since they had known each other for a long time already. So what was wrong with that?

Piper shook her head. And anyway, Victor only likes me because I am like a sister to him, she thought. She laughed nervously. Nothing was wrong about that….right?

**Dinner….**

Piper watched Logan and Victor as they quietly ate their food. For her, it was unusual for them to eat dinner with such a distant attitude. It seemed like whatever had happened in town made them have such a cold aura surrounding them. The two of them didn't even think about what happened, since Piper couldn't read their thoughts. They really didn't want to talk about it.

"So, um, what happened in town? The two of you act strange as soon as you returned," Piper said, hesitantly.

Victor looked up and looked at her. "Huh?"

Logan seemed to freeze.

Piper got the uncomfortable feeling that she had just said something that the two of them had been avoiding. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."

Victor looked at her, closely. "It's alright. You don't know what had happened anyway so you're just curious."

Logan put down his fork. He looked at Piper with a serious expression. "Just met a man who pissed Victor off," he said, shooting Victor a 'look.'

Victor rolled his eyes. Why was Logan seemed angry? Victor just got mad at the bastard who taunted him. What was the big deal? He didn't kill the man, he just threatened him.

Piper looked at him, with wide eyes. _Who's that man?_

Victor glared at her. He didn't want her to know what had happened. He didn't want her to know that the animal that she had seen a few years ago had almost got out of its cage. _Mind your own business._

His reply got Piper annoyed. _What is wrong with you?_

_Just don't ask anything about what happened in the town, okay? _Victor looked away from her. He pushed away his thoughts. He really didn't want her to know anything that had happened.

Piper rolled her eyes. She was getting annoyed at how Victor could be able to hide his thoughts from her. She felt frustrated since she couldn't be able to know what someone was thinking.

Logan was about to tell Piper more of what happened, but by the looks that Victor was giving him, he just shut up. He instantly knew that Victor was telling him to shut up.

Piper looked at the two brothers. She had an irritated expression on her face. The two of them were hiding something from them and she didn't like the way how they had looked at each other. Their expression reads: 'don't let Piper know it.' She scowled at the two of them and just kept quiet. Fine, if they like it that way, she will also play it that way.

**The next day….**

Piper watched Logan and Victor as they talked. They were quite far from the house, but they were still visible. Piper could see them, but she could hardly hear their thoughts. This made her quite frustrated. She was sure that the two brothers were discussing the incident that happened during their visit in town. Whatever it was, Piper thought that it was something big, since the two of them didn't want her to know.

"Good morning, Piper. Is Victor in there?"

Piper snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the woman who was talking to her. With no sign of surprise (since she already knew who it was) she greeted Alice a good morning too. "I am afraid that he is talking to his brother right now. If you want to see him, he's just over there." Piper pointed at the two brothers who seemed to be coming back, now.

Alice looked at where Piper was pointing. She smiled as soon as she spotted Victor. "Well, then, I better wait for them to get in here," she said.

The two brothers reached the house. They noticed Alice was there (at last!). Logan looked at Piper. He seemed to be asking who she was. Piper almost smiled. It seemed like Logan had forgotten who she was.

_She's the one who was with me when I waited for the two of you in the train station. My friend who I met while the two of you were away, _she exlplained to him inside his mind.

Logan then looked at Alice and smiled. "Good morning, miss," he said politely.

Victor looked at Alice, uninterested. He also seemed to forgot who she was, since he hadn't paid any attention to her in the train station. "Who are you?" he asked, after letting Logan greet her.

Alice was about to say something, when Piper answered Victor's question for her.

"She's the one who accompanied me in the train station back then when I was waiting for the two of you to return from the war," Piper said. She gave him a smug look. _It seemed like you are getting old enough to forget some things,_ she teased in his mind.

Victor smirked at Piper. He'll just let her tease him, but he had other things to think about.

"I am Alice, the daughter of the farmer near your house," Alice said, flashing her a gorgeous smile.

Victor smiled back at her, but his smile was fake. He was just trying to be polite, since Piper was giving her a challenging look. Usually, Victor would be rude to other people who would just come to them. He didn't want anyone to come to his home. He was quite territorial when it comes to his house and maybe when it come to Piper too.

Logan looked at Alice. "Nice to meet you," he said.

Alice didn't look at Logan. She just stared at Victor, who didn't take off the smile on his face. Piper was sure that Alice was thinking how Victor looked. Piper bit her tongue to prevent laughing. She was just enjoying reading the minds of others.

Victor finally gave up. The smile on his face disappeared. "Pleasure to meet you," he finally said.

Alice's smile became wider. Piper rolled her eyes. What kind of person would be so happy when someone they like would tell them, 'pleasure to meet you'? Alice was such a strange girl.

"Why don't you come in the house?" Piper suggested.

Victor and Logan looked at her. Alice just ignored Piper. She was too busy looking at Victor. Her target was there, standing just in front of her. She wouldn't let anyone spoil this moment.

"So tell me Victor, would you like to accompany me in going to the town tomorrow? I heard that there will be a celebration. There will be dancing in there and I wanted to go, but the problem is I didn't have anyone to come with me," Alice said.

Logan looked at Alice, suspiciously. He didn't like the way this girl talk to Victor. It sounded like she was trying to get him. Logan looked at Piper. He was hoping that she knew something. He went towards Piper.

"Yes, Alice does like him," Piper whispered to him as soom as he reached her. She didn't want Victor or Alice to hear her. "Ever since the two of you went to the war, she had come to me, asking me to help her in getting Victor to like her."

Logan looked at her with a surprised expression. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

Piper rolled her eyes. "She told me not to tell anyone."

Logan then remembered that day when the two of them returned. Victor got mad at her for keeping a secret. Everything became clear to Logan now. This was what she had been hiding from the two of them.

"You wouldn't be mad at me, right?" Piper asked him.

Logan laughed and shook his head. "Why would I? You just kept a little secret from us, nothing bad about that, right?"

Piper smiled. Logan could really understand her better than Victor. Logan was just like a faithful friend who was always there in times of need. She could always count on Logan.

Victor watched Logan and Piper talking to each other at the corner of his eyes. He didn't like the way the two of them were talking in really low voices. He pretended that he was listening to Alice's chatters, but he perked up when he heard about the celebration that was going to be held in town. He remembered the man he met, and was about to decline the invitation of Alice but when he thought about Piper, he thought it would be a great idea to bring her to the celebration since Piper loved it whenever the atmosphere was cheerful.

"So are you going?" Alice asked, skeptically.

Victor looked at Piper and smiled. "Sure why not? Is it open for everybody?" he asked.

Alice smiled. "Of course it is. The celebration is for all people. They said that they made the celebration possible because they wanted to give thanks to the men who joined the war."

Victor smiled wider. That was going to be great. He wanted to thank Piper for everything anyway so it might be a good idea to bring her to the celebration. "When is it?"

"Tomorrow night," Alice answered.

"Then I will be there," Victor said.

Alice squealed in delight. She had successfully convinced Victor to accompany her in the celebration in town. "Well then see you tomorrow!" She took off. She was so happy that she felt like she was floating instead of walking.

Victor nodded his head. He forgot to tell her that he was going to bring Piper and Logan along. _Well, I think she won't mind it,_ he thought. He went towards Logan and Piper who were having a conversation. "Hey, I have good new,"he said to the two of them.

Logan and Piper abruptly stopped their conversation and looked at him.

"We will go in town since there will be a celebration," Victor informed.

Piper smiled cheerfully. "That is great!" she exclaimed.

Logan looked at her and laughed. He just can't stop smiling whenever he sees Piper happy. It made him felt happy too, for no reasons at all.

Victor smirked. He was right. Piper would loved to go in a celebration. _I think Alice is not too bad after all, _he thought, _since she was the one who gave me the idea in bringing Piper along...._

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**Well what do you think?...sorry if this chapter was a little boring...^^**


	7. Part Six: REALIZATION

**Well, here's the next chapter...thanks for the reviews!!...oh and i have a question....what were the wars that Victor and Logan joined?...please tell me...i had no clue at all...the only war i knew that they had joined was the Vietnam war..aside from that I don't know anything anymore...For this chapter, I am kinda focusing the relationship of Logan and Piper....anyway..please enjoy this chapter!! ^_^**

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**Part Six: REALIZATION

"What do people usually wear during a festival?" Piper asked, looking at Logan.

Logan shrugged. "We never had attended anything like this before. In fact, I think this is the first time that we are attending a celebration," he responded, kicking the small pebble lying on the ground in front of him. The pebble rolled away from him.

It was a great day today. The sun was up and the skies were clear. It was not too hot or too cold. It was the perfect day to have a celebration. In fact, the weather was so good Piper and Logan decided that they would just go outside and have an afternoon stroll. Victor was inside the house. He told them that he wanted to take a nap before they go to town.

Piper sighed. Logan was right. They never had cared what were happening in the town. They were living their lives as peaceful as possible, not letting anyone to get close to them, afraid that normal people would know about their 'abilities.'

Logan looked at her. She was thinking about something that was making her look gloomy and again, Logan couldn't figure out what she was thinking. The helpless feeling was there again. He envied Victor since he could be able to tell what she was thinking just by looking at her.

Piper gave him a smile. "You don't have to worry about me. I was just thinking about nothing," she lied.

Logan gave her a suspicious look. "You know, for the past years we have been together you really haven't told me what you really feel."

Piper looked down. He was right. She was still uncomfortable telling other people what she was really feeling. "Are you mad at me because of that?" she asked.

"I didn't say I am mad at you. It's just that, I find it very frustrating," he said.

Piper gave him a smile. "Why is it frustrating? Jealous that I could read your mind while you can't?" she taunted.

Logan chuckled. "Why would I be jealous? Mine is way better than yours? How could you protect yourself with that kind of power?"

He was right. How could she protect herself? She could only read minds but she could never fend them off. Sure she could control things, but she can only control things that were light enough for her mind to lift. She didn't even want violence. She couldn't even bring herself to punch someone. She didn't know how to fight. "Yeah, you're right. I could not even use my powers in protecting myself," she said, sadly. "Victor was right. I am just weak."

Logan looked at her. He gave her a concerned look. He didn't like her to be sad. "You're not weak. In fact, you are powerful."

Piper looked at him. He was saying those things to her because he only wanted to see her smile again. "I don't believe you."

Logan sighed. "Well, guess what? You are powerful since you have me and Victor. You don't have to learn how to fight. As long as you are with us, you will be safe. We will do the fighting for you. We won't let anything bad to happen to you"

What Logan said was sincere and true, but Piper didn't want to be useless when it comes to battling. She didn't want to watch Victor and Logan fighting other people just because she couldn't protect herself. "But what if I am alone? How could I fend off my opponents if you are not with me?"

Logan didn't know what to answer. She had a point. Victor and Logan couldn't be with her all the time. There will be times when he and Victor would go away again, leaving her alone, just like the time they went to the war.

Piper looked at Logan's torn expression. She knew that he really didn't know what to say next. She sighed. "Well, we better get inside the house." She headed towards their house, with Logan right behind her. She was determined to learn how to fight.

When Piper and Logan had reached the house, they were surprise to see Alice waiting outside. Alice looked impatient and grumpy. It looked like she had been waiting outside the house for a long time already.

"Why are you here?" Logan asked, looking at her curiously.

Alice shot him an angry look. "I was waiting for Piper to open the door. I didn't know that you went out."

Piper smirked. "Why were you looking for me?"

Alice rolled her eyes. She didn't have time for this. She better get to work now.

Piper didn't have to wait for her reply. She instantly knew why Alice was looking for her. "Spit it out," she said. Even if she knew what she was thinking, Piper still had to act like she couldn't read her mind.

"I was supposed to ask you where Victor was," Alice replied, hesitantly.

Logan rolled his eyes. He didn't like the way she kept on chasing after Victor.

"Victor is inside the house," Piper informed, biting her tongue to prevent from laughing.

Alice rolled her eyes. "If Victor was inside the house, then how come he didn't even open the door when I kept on knocking on it," she asked, sarcastically.

"Victor doesn't like visitors," Logan said, with a smirk.

Piper shot him a look. She knew that he only wanted Alice to leave Victor alone. "He was taking a nap, so maybe he didn't hear you."

Alice shrugged. "Then he might be such a heavy sleeper if he didn't hear any of my knocks," she said.

Logan chuckled. "Believe me. You don't know the way he sleeps."

Piper shook her head and tried hard not to smile. She opened the door and entered. Logan was right behind her as well as Alice. It was dark inside and it seemed like Victor was still sleeping since it was so quiet.

"I'll just go up to his room," Piper said. She was about to go up, when Alice stopped her.

"A woman should not enter the room of a man, if she have no relation to them or what so ever," she said with a serious tone.

Piper raised an eyebrow. Whatever Alice was thinking, it was plain weird.

Logan laughed. "That's the lamest thing that I had ever heard," he said.

Alice glared at him. "That is not a laughing matter, Mr. James."

Piper giggled. "Victor is related to me. He is my friend so it is alright for me to go to his room." She went up the stairs, ignoring the looks from Alice. She knocked on Victor's door. No one answered.

Piper concentrated on reading Victor's thoughts. It was blank. "Hey Victor, open up," she said, pounding the door with her fist. She waited for a few seconds until she heard a thud coming from inside the room. She smiled. Victor had finally woke up and he had rolled off the bed.

The room door opened revealing a grumpy Victor. "What the hell was the noise all about?" he asked, roughly. "Don't you know that I'm sleeping?"

Piper smirked. "Of course I know that."

Victor snarled. "Well, why did you wake me up?" he asked, sounding impatient.

Piper shrugged. "Alice was looking for you. She had been waiting for you downstairs." She turned away and went towards the stairs.

Victor stared at her as she left. _What does that Alice girl wants from me anyway?_ He yawned before following Piper downstairs. "What time is it?" Victor asked as soon as he caught up with Piper.

"Hm, I think it is 6 o'clock," Piper responded.

Victor smiled. "The celebration will begin in a few hours."

'Yeah, I know. Isn't it exciting?"

Victor chuckled. "Maybe." He looked at Piper. Her eyes were twinkling as she thought about the festival. "What will you wear?" he asked.

Piper snapped out of her daydream and looked at him. She smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I hadn't thought about that."

Victor smirked. Just like what he had expected. She would never care about her appearance. When they got downstairs, Alice stood up. She looked nervous and excited. It looked like she had been rehearsing what she will say when she sees Victor. Piper gave a Victor a smirked. He give Piper a look that says, 'don't even think about it.'

"Good evening, Mr Creed," Alice said. Her cheeks were tinted pink as soon as she greeted him.

Piper bit her tongue to prevent herself from laughing. She left Victor's side and went towards Logan who was sitting on the kitchen chair. He was glaring at Alice the whole time. _Annoying little runt,_ he thought, angrily. Piper winked at Logan. He smiled at her. "Read my mind, huh?" he leaned on Piper to whisper.

"Yeah," she answered.

"Well, you hadn't fix yourself yet?" Alice said, inspecting Victor's appearance. It looked like it had been weeks since he had changed his clothes (which was probably true anyway).

Victor shrugged. He took a seat beside Logan. "Help me," he murmured to Logan.

"Well, isn't it sweet," Logan sneered.

Victor gave him a death glare which made Logan shut up. Piper giggled.

Alice followed Victor. She stood in front of him. "I could help you in choosing what you should wear for the celebration," she said, smiling.

Logan looked at Victor grinning mischievously. "Well, Victor what do you say? Why don't you let her help you. You really need some help when it comes to wearing something good."

Victor scowled at him. He tried his best not to growl. "Look who's talking," he hissed.

Alice ignored the little argument of Logan and Victor. "Well, since you had agreed to my suggestion, could I take a look at your closet?"

Victor looked at her. He was about to object when Piper cut her off.

"How nice of you to help Victor choose what he will wear for the festival," Piper said with a smile.

Victor was about to argue but then, Piper prevented him to say anything.

"I may as well accompany you to Victor's room," Piper said, standing. She took Alice by the arm and pulled her towards Victor's room.

"H-hey, I did not agree to this!" Victor exclaimed following them.

Logan was left in the kitchen. _Might as well follow them since I don't have anything to do in here,_ he thought. He got up and followed the three.

"Alice, um, why don't you just help Piper in dressing up? I could choose what I would wear for the party anyway," Victor said, trying to convince Alice to change her mind. They were nearing his room now and he didn't want anyone to enter his room except maybe for Logan and Piper. He was territorial after all.

Alice froze. "Did you say that Piper will attend the celebration, as well?" she asked, with a disappointed face.

Piper nodded her head. "Of course I will. Victor told me that you won't mind. so Logan and I will go too."

Alice seemed to frown. She was hoping that she could be alone with Victor with no disturbances. She wanted to have Victor's undivided attention. "Well, I could just help Piper in choosing her clothes," she said, downcast. Her perfect chance to have Victor was ruined. "Kindly show me where her room is."

Victor looked relief. "Sure," he said with a smirk. "Her room is that way." He pointed at the opposite direction of his room.

Alice nodded and then gave him a smile. "Well then, you might as well start on fixing yourself up."

Piper glared at Victor. _Don't think that you are getting away from this,_ she told him before Alice started dragging her.

Victor just smirked. _Of course I know that,_ he sneered. He watched Piper as she was pulled towards her room. This was going to be interesting...

**An Hour Later...**

"Please Piper, help me in this one. This might be my chance to get Victor," Alice pleaded as she brushed Piper's brown hair.

"Fine," Piper responded.

Alice squealed with delight. "Thank you so much. You are my savior." She jumped up and down while wrestling Piper's tangles.

Piper sighed. Alice had asked her a favor. Piper had been asked to give Alice and Victor some time alone to get to know each other. Alice had been begging Piper for some time now and it was getting in Piper's nerves.

"Do I really have to wear something like this?" Piper asked Alice as she looked at the dress she was wearing with disgust. She hated wearing something girly.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Of course you should. Women should always wear dresses in occasions like this," she said.

Piper sighed. She really didn't want to wear such thing. "But what if I don't wear a dress?"

"Then you cannot go inside the party," Alice replied. She began pinning Piper's hair. "There now, I am finish." She put down her hands.

Piper stood up. She didn't have any mirror inside the house so she had to go out of her room. Alice followed her as Piper went out of her room. She went towards the mirror and stared at herself. Alice smiled looking triumph. "You look beautiful," she said.

Piper continued to stare at the mirror. She was not used to see her all fixed up. She was used to seeing her loose hair and her same old clothes. "I look...different," she stated.

Alice smiled wider. "Well, different is always better." She inspected Piper, checking if she had been able to do a nice job in making her look presentable.

Piper suddenly turned around to see Logan coming out from his room. He looked clean and noble than his usual messy look. He noticed Piper and he smiled. "You look beautiful," he said, walking towards her.

Piper smirked. "You look handsome," she said with a grin.

Then Victor came out of his room. He too looked clean. In fact he looked like he had completely changed. He had combed his head and he was wearing clean clothes. He stared at Piper. He didn't say anything. He just stared at her.

"Well, look who had just came out of his room," Logan sneered.

Alice blushed as soon as she saw Victor. "Y-you look nice," she stammered.

Victor snapped out. "Thanks," he said, smugly.

Piper chuckled. "Not bad," she said.

Victor smiled at her. "You're not bad yourself."

"Well, thanks to Alice, I wouldn't look like this," Piper said.

Victor smirked, showing off his fangs. "No wonder you look beautiful."

They locked eye contact for a moment. Logan realized that they were having a 'quiet' conversation again. This time he felt a little jealous. He finally noticed that Piper and Victor always had a 'quiet' conversation, but he hadn't experience talking to Piper by the mind.

Alice cleared her throat since everyone became quiet. "Well, then let us go," she said. She went towards Victor.

Piper then realized that Alice had been wearing a dress that was fit for a celebration. She was too occupied with thoughts that she hadn't been able to noticed it.

Victor smirked. "Sure." He quickly led the way out of the house, leaving behind Alice.

They went outside the house. Piper locked the doors of the house. After making sure that the doors were locked, she pocketed the key. Logan gave her a smile and took her by the arm. He leaned down to her ears. "Look at Alice," he whispered.

Piper looked at Alice. She chuckled when she saw her looking quite annoyed. Victor was leaving her behind. He didn't bother to even go back and talk to her.

"What a sweet couple," Piper joked.

Logan laughed. He looked at Victor. He remembered about what he had just realized a while ago. "I have a question," he stated looking at Piper.

Piper looked at her. "What is it?" she asked.

"Why do you always talk to Victor by your mind?" he asked.

Piper shrugged. "I don't know. I find it easier talking to his mind. I didn't have to concentrate that hard to put my thoughts in others' head, now that I am used to it."

"Then, I have another question," Logan said. "I noticed that you hadn't talk to me by your mind, why is it?"

Piper was caught off guard by that question. True, she hadn't talked to Logan's mind yet and she didn't know why. "I don't know," she answered. Logan's question kept on repeating in her mind. "Maybe I just like seeing Victor get irritated because I kept on bugging him," she joked. She hoped that Logan would just forget that question. Even she didn't know what to answer

Logan looked at her and shrugged. "True," he said. He grinned at her. Well there was no reason to be jealous about that kind of thing, right?

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**Well what do you think?...sorry if you think this was boring...oh and please answer my question...it would be very helpful..anyway please review!! ^^**


	8. Part Seven: DANCE WITH ME

**Thanks for answering my questions...it was really helpful....I also want to thank my sister, Allana14, who gave me an idea in what to write next...I also want to thank those who never got tired of reviewing this story...the reviews really make me smile...Anyway...please enjoy!! ^_^**

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Part Seven: DANCE WITH ME

The town was full of people when they had arrived. The streets were crowded. All lights were lit making the town looked alive. There was a small platform in the middle to serve as the stage. There was a small band on it, fixing their instruments. Everyone had a smile on their faces. It looked like everyone was going to join the celebration. There were banners hanging above them. There were kids running around. Some people were standing on their balconies, waving at the people below.

Piper looked around with wide, twinkling eyes. The place looked so different. People gave off a happy aura. She looked at Logan. "This place is so incredible," she said, sounding like a kid.

Logan smirked. "Yeah."

Victor looked behind him and noticed that Logan and Piper were hand in hand. He narrowed his eyes at them and decided to join them. He went towards them and broke them apart. He put a hand on Piper's shoulder. "Liking it already?" he asked putting on a smile.

Piper nodded enthusiastically. Of course she liked it already. "Can't wait for it to start," she said.

Logan seemed to glare at Victor, but shrugged it off. Why would he get angry with that? Victor and Piper are just friends, right?

"Aw c'mon, Jimmy, why does it seem like you are getting jealous?" Piper said, looking at him with a teasing smile.

Logan smirked. "I am not jealous, maybe somebody is jealous, but it is surely not me."

Piper then realized that Alice was with them. She turned around to see her fuming. "Hey Alice. Why don't you come over here?"

Victor and Logan looked at Alice too. She put on a fake smile and went towards them. She stood beside Victor.

Victor looked at her, with a forced smile. _Help me,_ he thought.

Piper smirked. _Oh c'mon, why don't you just be sweet towards Alice? She is a nice girl._

Victor gave her a glare. _Funny, really funny,_ he said.

Then a man who looked like he was in his 40's went up the stage. He grabbed a microphone and cleared his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said.

Logan, Victor and Alice turned their attention to the man, but Piper was too busy admiring everything. She looked around, ignoring the man on the stage. People's thoughts came flooding inside her head. There were so many men who were thinking of asking the girl they like to a dance, while there were so many girl hoping that someone would ask them to a dance. It was so exciting.

The celebration began and Piper didn't even notice it. She was too busy reading people's happy thoughts. The cheerfulness and the enthusiasm of the people started to flood in Piper's mind. She could feel their emotions. She smiled, she liked to know that everyone was happy, but again, she hated the feeling of being hugged by thousands and thousands of people.

The small band on the stage started to play a lively tune. Everyone started dancing. Men started asking women to dance with them. Victor hated dancing. He didn't enjoy it. He was not good in dancing. He always steps on someone foot whenever he dance, but today, he was determined to ask Piper to dance with him. He was about to go to her when Alice blocked him.

"You are here because you promised me that you'll be my escort, so let us dance," she said, cheerfully, pulling him away from Piper and led him to the middle where many other couples were dancing.

Victor was about to pull away from her, but he froze. He saw Logan approaching Piper. He felt a pang of jealousy. He glared as he watched Logan led Piper to the dance floor. _If they want it that way then fine,_ he thought. He let Alice dragged him to the dance floor too.

The whole time Victor and Alice were dancing, he would glance at Logan and Piper who were dancing at the other side of the dance floor. Alice noticed this so she gave her very best to distract him.

"So, um, you're great in dancing," Alice said.

This made Victor tore his attention to Piper and Logan. He looked at Alice with a questioning expression. He hadn't noticed that he hadn't stepped on her foot yet. "Yeah, right," he said, sarcastically. He quickly turned away to look at Logan and Piper.

The two of them looked like they we're enjoying the dance. They were laughing at each other's mistakes. Victor looked at Piper. She really was enjoying it. She was smiling, ear to ear. Her eyes were twinkling just like the stars above and she seemed to glow because of happiness.

"Victor?"

Victor tore off his gaze from Piper and looked at Alice. "What?" he snapped. Alice was just getting on his nerves.

Alice looked slightly taken aback. "I-I like you," she murmured.

Victor looked at her. He already knew that so what was her point in saying it to him. "So?"

Alice looked at him. It seemed like she was about to cry. "S-so, I would like you to at least notice me. Could you at least try to keep Piper away from your thoughts and think about me?"

What Alice was asking him to do was hard for Victor. Whatever he does, he just couldn't stop thinking about Piper. "I believe that what you are asking me is hard. I couldn't do it," he said.

There was a single tear forming in Alice's eyes. "Do you really couldn't do it or you wouldn't do it?"

Victor thought about what she had asked. "Both," he answered. He really couldn't and wouldn't take Piper off his mind.

Alice abruptly stopped dancing. There were tears that were streaming down her cheeks. She was already crying. It seemed like her world was falling apart. The night that she was hoping to be the best night ever turned upside down. She got rejected by a man who doesn't seem to care what she was feeling towards him.

Victor also stopped dancing and looked at her. "You knew right from the start that I already like somebody, huh?" he asked.

Alice nodded her head, slowly, trying to hold back her tears.

Victor smirked. "Well, it never hurt to try right?"

Alice smiled a sad smile. "Yeah."

"Well then, Alice, it was a pleasure to dance with you," Victor said, bowing.

Alice nodded her head. "No, it was my pleasure to dance with you." She curtsied and left him.

Victor watched her leave the dance floor. He grinned. Now he could go to Piper and ask her to a dance. He made his way to Piper and Logan. When he reached them, he laid a hand on Logan's shoulder, as if telling him that it was his turn already.

Logan looked at him and smirked. "Got rid of her."

Victor grinned. "Yeah."

Piper looked at Victor. "Why?"

"Coz she is not my type," Victor answered. He looked at Logan.

Logan smirked again and let Victor and Piper to dance. Before he left, he got Piper's hand and kissed it lightly. He smiled at her and winked. After that he left.

Victor glared at Logan as he left. _What was that for?_

Piper looked at Victor. "Jealous?" she teased.

Victor looked at her. He smiled, trying to hide his envy. "Of course not. Why would I?"

Piper shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because you kept on giving us weird glances while we were dancing," she said, with a sly smile.

Victor rolled his eyes. "Could we start dancing now?" he asked impatiently, ending their discussion.

"Well, sure," she said.

Victor slipped his hand into hers. He placed his other hand on her waist. Piper placed her hand on his shoulder. They began to sway in the music. They looked at each others' eyes. Victor seemed to forget that they were surrounded with other couples. It seemed like they were the only one around. Everything seemed to melt. He couldn't take off his eyes on Piper. Memories with her flooded his mind. He remembered the first time that he had met her. How he felt like he could really trust her. The time when he promised to protect her. He let his thoughts wonder. He forgot that Piper could read his mind.

Piper read his thoughts and she didn't know what to say. She was too speechless. She didn't know that Victor's feelings were like that. She looked away from him. She felt a little embarrassed. "Hehe, didn't know that was how you felt about me," she said, trying to make it sound like a joke.

Victor looked at her and he suddenly realized that she had been reading his mind. _You read my mind again?_ he asked her.

_A little,_ she said, sheepishly. She felt kinda uncomfortable. It seemed like she was seeing a new Victor in front of her.

Victor glared at her. This was what he had feared. He was afraid that this thing would happen. He didn't want to ruin their friendship. He was already contented to what they were to each other. _Why do you always do that? Why can't you just mind your own business?_

Piper returned his glare. _How many times would I have to tell you, I just can't help it. My powers just work on their own. I could only control it if I concentrate really hard._

Victor didn't know what to say next. He didn't want Piper to change the way she acts around him. He only wanted to make her feel comfortable with him, but right now, he could see that she was a little uncomfortable. Before he could think about anything anymore, he let go of Piper. As if on cue, the song had finished and people around them started clapping.

"Well, let find Jimmy," Victor said, looking at her.

Piper nodded her head, avoiding to look at his eyes. "Yeah, sure." She started to make her way towards Logan.

Victor followed her. He was angry at himself for being so careless._ Piper?_

_Yeah,_ Piper responded.

_It seemed like you had gotten uncomfortable._

_No i'm not, _she snapped.

_Yes you are. Don't lie to me Piper. I could see right through you._

Piper stopped walking. She turned around to face him. _How come you know so much about me? You kept on hiding so many things from me that I feel so...frustrated._

Victor glared at her. _I'm not the only person who kept on hiding something from someone else. Everyone has his/her own secrets. You are the only one who run around finding out other people's secrets._

Piper scowled at him. _How many times do I have to tell you that I can't control my powers? Do i have to tell you a million times before it could get through your thick skull?_

Victor balled his fist. He could feel his nails getting longer. Blood dripped from his hands as his nails dug to his skin. _Then you are weak. You cannot control such simple power. _

_What did you say?_ Piper couldn't take it anymore. She bit her lower lip to prevent herself from shouting at him.

Victor didn't say anything. He looked away. He had crossed the line. He had said the words that he shouldn't have said. _I didn't mean---_

Piper ran away, not waiting for Victor to finish what he was saying. She didn't want to hear it anymore. This night was supposed to be fun, but things got turned upside down. _Piper!_ his thoughts kept on ringing inside her head. _Just go away! _she said. She ran away, ignoring the angry looks that the other women gave her as she made her way out of the place where the celebration was held. She kept on running, leaving behind her shoes. She ran as fast as she could, hoping that Victor wouldn't be running after her. She just wanted to be alone. She didn't want to see anyone. She suddenly tripped on her dressed and she fell. She got up and tried to rub the dirt that clung to her knees. There was a scratch on both of her knees. She looked around. _Where am I?_

Piper was alone in the deserted part of the town. It was dark and eerie. The houses looked like it had been abandoned for years. The wind blew making a whistling sound that made the hair on her back to rise. There was something in this place that made her wished she hadn't ran away. She was about to go, when she realized that she didn't know how to get back. She had never been in this part of the town. She turned around and started to walk. She was trying to retrace her steps.

_A girl..._

Piper turned around as she heard someone's thought inside her head. It sounded like a man who was drunk. She looked around and saw a man approaching her. She was correct. The man was drunk and she didn't like what he was thinking.

"Hey there, young lady, not lost aren't you?" the man asked.

Piper froze. She remembered the time when four men were thinking of doing something bad to her. That event had been haunting Piper's dreams. She was afraid that something like that will happen again and to her dismay, it seemed like it will happen all over again.

_But this time, Victor will not be here to save me,_ she thought.

The man came nearer to her.

"Don't come any closer," Piper said, threateningly. She looked at him. She better come up with a plan...and fast.

The man hiccuped and then chuckled. "And what would the young lady do if I come neared to her?" He took another step forward.

Without thinking, Piper lifted a stone that was lying on the ground by her mind. She threw it to him with such force that the man cursed. He covered his forehead where the stone had hit him with his hand. It was bleeding but it didn't stop him from going nearer to her.

"Tsk-tsk-tsk, the young lady has guts,huh?" he said. He sounded pissed. He took another step forward.

Without any second thought, Piper began running.

The man chuckled. "You can ran, but you can't hide," he shouted behind her.

Piper's heart began to beat faster. She wished Logan and Victor were there to save her. _You gotta be strong. Don't be weak just like what HE said. You gotta fight,_ she thought. She then stopped running and turned to face the man.

The man chuckled. "Why did the young lady stop? Finally giving up?" he taunted.

Piper smirked. "Who mentioned about giving up?" By her mind, she lifted a barrel that was just near her. She threw it to him and the barrel smashed on his head.

Piper thought that the man would be unconscious, but unfortunately, the man was still standing perfectly straight. As if nothing had happened to him. He gave her a smile. "You might not know it, young lady but I am a mutant just like you," he said.

Piper was shocked to hear the news. This time, she knew that she might never get back to her home alive. She thought about Logan and Victor._ What would they do if they realized that I am being chased by someone,_ she thought. She remembered what Logan had told her.

_You are powerful since you have me and Victor...._

Piper sighed. Now she was weak since she Logan and Victor were not there with her. She regretted running away. That was what she had been doing since she was just a kid. She had ran away from the truth. She ran away instead of facing the consequences. She now realized that was running away will make everything worse. She thought was running away was always the answer in all of her problems. Victor was right.....She was just weak...

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**Well..what do you think...sorry if it sucks...but thanks anyway for reading this chapter.... please review! ^^**


	9. Part Eight: I'LL BE THERE

**Well thanks for the reviews!!!...it really made me determined to make this story better....Sorry if Logan and Victor are a little out of character in the past chapters....I will try my best to capture to their attitude....Anyway please enjoy!!! ^_^**

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**Part Eight: I'LL BE THERE

Victor stared at Piper as she ran off. He was about to follow her, when Logan caught him by the collar of his shirt.

"What did you do?" Logan hissed. "Why did Piper ran off?"

Victor shook Logan off. "If you care so much about her then go after her," he said, pissed. He wasn't supposed to say that but he was so jealous since Logan was also worried about her.

Logan glared at him. "You bastard! Why did you let her go away? During this time of the night it is very dangerous for a girl like Piper to roam around the town. What do you think will happen to her if she goes THERE?"

Victor's mouth dropped opened. His eyes became wide. He hadn't thought about that one yet. Pushing Logan aside, he sprinted out of the crowd and tried to follow Piper's scent.

Logan stared at him as he went away. He rolled his eyes. _Idiot,_ he thought. He ran after Victor. _If anything happens to Piper I swear I will tear Victor's head off his shoulders. _He reached Victor who was sniffing through the air.

"She had headed there," Victor murmured. He started to run in all fours. Logan followed him, trying to catch up with him.

Piper's scent became stronger as they got nearer to the place that Victor and Logan usually avoid. The place was full of people who were different from the others. In fact, there were many mutants who roamed around in that side of the town. Those mutants were not friendly to humans. They, in fact, despised them. The place was full of mutants who kept on fighting. It was not a safe place for someone to go there unless they knew how to fight.

"Damn it," Victor cursed. "She had headed in there."

Logan gritted his teeth. Now he really wanted to at least hit Victor in the face for letting her off. He breathed in deeply. "Well, we should not waste anymore time. We better get her before somebody does," he said. He continued to ran, pushing his legs.

Victor wanted Piper to be safe. He didn't waste anymore seconds. He ran faster, with Logan behind him. He didn't care if Logan didn't catch up with him. The only thing that mattered to him right now was the safety of Piper.

Victor stopped running as he reached the place that he had loathed. The place where he had met the man that pissed him off. He looked around. He could smell Piper's scent and a scent of another man. _Not again,_ he thought. His heart was beating faster. Flashbacks from the time when he had saved Piper from the four men came back to him. He closed his eyes and breathed in slowly. Piper had definitely been here. His eyes opened when he heard a smashing sound from somewhere behind a house. He followed the sound. He saw two shadowy figures.

"You might not know it young lady, but I am a mutant just like you."

Victor growled as he immediately recognized the voice and his scent. It was the man who he had met. The one he had wanted to kill and now he was really going to kill him if he laid one finger on Piper. He looked at Piper who looked afraid and paler. He remembered the event that happened on that fateful night. She looked helpless and weak right now. He gritted his teeth.

"_I would never let you see such horrible things again."_

Those words echoed in his head. He had promised Piper that he would never show her the animal he was. Without further thoughts, he ran towards the man. He tackled him that sent the man hitting the wall of a house.

Victor quickly went towards Piper and hugged her. "You okay?" he asked.

Piper was shaking. She felt a little secured now that he was there. "Y-yeah," she said, her voice wavered.

Victor wouldn't like to let her go, but he heard the man got to his feet. He pulled away from Piper. "Close your eyes," he whispered to her.

Piper looked at him with wide eyes. Fear was written all over her face. "W-why?"

"Just trust me."

Without further discussion, Piper closed her eyes. She didn't want to close her eyes. She was afraid that he might do something pathetic, but she trusted him.

Victor then turned to the man. He looked at his hands. His nails were getting longer and it was screaming for blood. He smirked. He walked towards the man.

"You again?" the man said with mocking him. "I thought you had already hid behind your mama's couch."

Victor never let the smirk disappear on his face. "Haha, funny how I thought that you would be hiding behind you mama's back."

The man returned his smirk. "You're hilarious. Why don't we just skip this little chitchat and go to the good part. I don't have much time, you see, the young lady there is waiting for me."

That does it. The man had already crossed the line. If he ever messed with Piper, Victor swore that he will rip his head off into pieces. He ran towards him.

The man chuckled. "Is that the way you fight me?" he asked. He didn't move. He waited for Victor to come nearer.

Victor scratched the man in the face.

The man didn't flinch nor wince at the pain. He chuckled again as if nothing had happened. "That's the best you got?"

Victor looked at him puzzled. He growled and put his hand around his neck, his claws digging on the man's skin. Blood dripped down.

The man chuckled again. "Can't you understand anything, buck?"

Victor snarled and threw him to the wall. "What do I can't understand?"

The man laughed. He stood up and spit blood on the ground. "I'm indestructible. Whatever you do to me, I will never get hurt," he said.

"You will never get hurt, huh?" Victor said. He smirked. "Have you ever heard of dying without feeling any pain?"

The man frowned and looked at him. Victor saw that there was a little fear in his face now.

"T-there's no such thing as dying without feeling any pain," the man stuttered. He now realized that he could still die even if he couldn't feel any pain. He touched his wound on his forehead. It was still bleeding. He touched his neck and he felt the marks of Victor's claws. He could still die.

Victor stepped forwards. The man was afraid now. He seemed to shrink as Victor got closer to him.

"It's a pity that you will die in such situation," Victor said with a devilish grin.

The man gulped. He was a dead meat.

Victor took another step forward. He was near enough to cut the man's throat when he felt someone's arm wrapped around his waist. Someone's head was leaning on his back. He realized that it was Piper.

"Let him be. You don't have to kill him to save me," Piper whispered.

Victor put down his arms and looked at the man. He glared at him.

Without wasting anymore seconds, the man scampered away. He was afraid that Victor's mind would change if he stayed any longer.

Victor watched the man as he left. He tore off his gaze on him and looked at Piper. Her eyes were still closed. He removed her arms from his waist and laid his hands on both of her cheeks. He looked at her straight in the face. "Open your eyes," he said.

Piper opened her eyes, slowly. She was now staring at Victor. She gave him a smile.

Victor smiled back. He liked it better this way. "Well, what do you say if we head back to the celebration?" he asked.

Piper smirked. "No way, after what happened, I think I would want to take a rest."

The two of them laughed. Victor put down his hands. He realized that she already knew what he was really feeling for her. He cleared his throat. "Guess things will not be the same, huh?" he asked.

Piper shook her head. "Whatever happens, you will always be my friend, Victor and nothing can change that," she said, smiling.

Victor looked at her and smiled. Yeah that was correct. Whatever happens, nothing could change the bond between them.

They locked eye contact for a moment. Piper read his thoughts. He was only thinking about her and nothing else. She smirked. "Stop thinking about that," she said, punching him on his shoulder.

Logan appeared from behind a house. He looked tired and beaten. "Why the hell did you leave me behind?" he asked walking towards the two of them.

Victor smirked. "Sorry Jimmy, you said it yourself, we should not waste time."

Logan's expression softened. He let out a chuckle. He looked at Piper and hugged her. "Glad that you're okay," he said.

Piper laughed. "Well, I am powerful, just like what you had said. I got the two of you," she said.

Victor cleared his throat. Logan and Piper pulled away from each other.

"Let's go back home," Piper said, cheerfully. She led the way.

Logan followed her and slipped his hand to hers. Victor saw this and growled slightly. He made his move. He stood at the other side of Piper and held her hand. He shot a venomous look to Logan who didn't seem to care. The three of them walked hand in hand, with Piper at the middle. She was happy that she had the two best guys in the world beside her.

Victor looked at her. _I'll always be there beside you, _he said. He saw her smile.

_I know,_ she said.

Victor couldn't help it but broke into a smile. He was contented in their relationship right now. He knew that she was still confused. _I'll wait for you._

_Wait for me?_

_I'll wait for you to realize what you are really feeling, _he said.

_Yeah, right,_ she said sarcastically.

Victor smirked. _I know that you like me also_

_No I don't!_

Victor bit his tongue to prevent laughing. _You're lying._

Piper glared at him. _Don't make any conclusions. You don't know me that well._

Victor snorted. _You're wrong. I already knew you too well._

_No you don't,_ she said.

_I bet that I know you better than you know yourself._

_No you don't, _she said sounding like a child.

_Yes I do, _he responded.

The two of them held eye contact for a moment. Piper bit her lower lip. _You're unbelievable,_ she told him.

Victor smiled. _No I don't._

Piper rolled her eyes. She let him go. _Stop doing that._

_Doing what?_

_That._

_What that?_

Piper groaned. _Nevermind. _She looked at Logan and smiled. "Will you hit your brother for me?"

Logan smiled. He realized that the two of them were having a 'quiet' argument again. He felt a little jealous but ignored it. "Sure." He smirked. He looked at Victor. A playful smile forming on his face.

Victor smirked. "Give me your best shot."

Logan let go of Piper and began chasing Victor. Piper laughed as she watched the two brothers chase each other. They looked childish and weird, but Piper was already satisfied with that. She liked it better if they were together with a happy atmosphere. She sighed. Tonight was not that bad after all.

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**Well...sorry if this chapter is a bit...um..i don't know...tell me if there is anything wrong with this one....I am in a hurry that I didn't have enough time to edit it....thanks for reading this chapter anyway....please review!! ^^**


	10. Part Nine: FIGHT

**Hey guys...thanks for the helpful reviews that you had given me...for the next few days I will be busier so i might update late....anyway..please enjoy!! ^_^**

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**Part Nine: FIGHT

"I want to learn how to fight, so please teach me," Piper stated, looking at Victor straight in the eyes.

Victor was startled to hear that she wanted to learn how to fight and most especially, he was startled that her face was very close to his. They were almost nose to nose. "Why?" he asked, stepping back.

"So that I could be able to protect myself and the things that are precious to me," she said.

Victor thought about it. He didn't like Piper to get into a fight and get hurt. He also didn't want her to learn how fight because it meant that she didn't need them any longer. He wanted to protect her. He hated to think that she could take care herself. He wanted to take care of her. He wanted the feeling of making her feel safe and secured.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Don't be dramatic, Victor. I am not a kid anymore. I am an adult already. I am already 22 years old for crying out loud," she said.

Victor scratched his head. She got a point but he still didn't want to give in to her demand. "So what? Women aren't allowed to fight," he said.

Piper looked at him with an angry expression. "So what if they are not allowed to fight? Nobody said anything about not allowing women to learn how to fight, right? So I could still learn how to fight."

Again, she had a point. Victor didn't have anymore choice but to agree. "Fine," he said, "but, don't think that you had won yet."

Piper smiled. She had been able to successfully convinced Victor to teach her how to fight. Now, it was Logan's turn.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"WHAT?!"

Piper looked at Logan who was surprised to hear what she had just told him. "Well, I said--"

"Of course I know what you had said," he snapped. He angrily kicked the wall. He had just came home from work. He was a little tired.

Piper looked at him with a furious expression. "Well, even if you don't agree with this, I already convinced Victor to teach me." She crossed her arms.

Logan looked at her with wide eyes. "Why does it have to be Victor?" he asked, angrily.

"Because he's a better fighter than you," she said, impulsively.

Logan rolled his eyes. That made him a little jealous. If he was going to let Piper learn how to fight, then he wanted to teach her how to fight and not Victor. "But he might hurt you....unintentionally and accidentally."

"Of course I know that," she said. "But I know that he wouldn't hurt me. I trust him."

Logan felt a little pang of envy. He knew that Victor wouldn't let anything bad happen to Piper, but still, he felt a little envious. He didn't know why. He and his brother have a very close relationship. They knew each other well. They didn't let anything to let their bond be destroyed, but when it comes to Piper, they didn't give away chances.

Piper looked at him, waiting for his answer.

"Fine, you can learn how to fight, but Victor will not be the only who's going to teach you how to fight. I will too."

Piper beamed at him. She clapped her hands. She was glad to hear that Logan had finally gave in to her demand. She felt a little spoiled, but still, she was determined how to fight. She didn't want to depend on Victor and Logan much. She wanted to be able to protect herself. She didn't want to be watching Victor and Logan fight for her. She wanted to be able to protect herself and her love ones. She was tired being useless in a battle. It was time for her to protect those she loves.

**The Next Day....**

The sun beat down above their heads. It was hot. The breeze blew softly. Their surroundings seemed dry. It was so hot since it was summer. Piper faced Victor and Logan with a serious face. She was wearing a boy's clothes since a girl's clothes were not fit for fighting. She was ready to take her training.

Victor looked at her. He looked scary since he had put on his war face. Logan on the other hand looked hesitant and unsure. He still didn't like the idea of letting Piper to learn how to fight.

"You ready?" Logan asked her. He looked at her, straight in the eyes.

Piper nodded her head. "Yes," she said firmly.

Logan looked at Victor, hoping that he might as well cancel the training. But to his dismay, Victor had really decided to train her. Logan looked at Piper again. "Well, first off, you need to jog around the yard for, um, ten laps."

Piper looked at them with a disappointed look. "Why?" she asked. She was hoping that Victor and Logan would at least let her learn how to punch, but why was he asking her to run around the yard.

Victor chuckled. Just like what he had expected. "You're going to run around yard so that you're stamina will increase and your endurance and agility will improve. Judging by your physical features, it is obvious that you easily get tired."

Piper glared at him. She was not that weak.

"Well, then, start running," Victor said, not removing the smirk on his face.

Piper had the sudden urge to wipe the annoying smirk off his face. it was getting in her nerves. She gave them one last look and then started to ran. _What an easy thing to do,_ she thought. The yard was not that big and not that small. It was big enough to make someone tired for running around it.

Logan and Victor leaned on the wall. They watched Piper ran.

"Is it a good idea to let her learn how to fight?" Logan asked Victor.

Victor nodded his head. "Maybe," he said. He didn't take off his eyes from Piper. Even if she will become a great fighter, he will still continue to protect her. He looked at Logan and smirked again. "I bet that after her her sixth lap, she will give up already."

Logan looked at him. He smirked. "I bet that she will only run two laps and after that she'll give up."

They looked at each other. They shook hands and then watched Piper as she ran.

Piper was already breathing hard. She had already finished the first lap. She was about to finish her second lap and she was beginning to surrender. She looked at Victor and Logan who were watching her intently. It looked like they were observing her. She looked at Victor.

_Give up already,_ he told her.

She glared at him. _No! _She pushed her legs harder so that she could run faster. She changed her mind. She should not give up. She finished her second lap, but she still continued running.

Logan looked at Victor who was smiling. "You did something?" he said, accusingly.

Victor looked at him. He shook his head. "I didn't do anything," he said, partially saying the truth.

Logan looked at him suspiciously. He didn't believe what Victor had told him, but he ignored it.

"Guess I am going to win the bet," Victor said, smugly.

Logan couldn't help but grin. "Maybe."

Piper watched the two brothers as she continued to run. Whatever they were thinking they're going to be wrong. She was determined to finish the ten laps. She tore her gaze from them and concentrated in running. She took a deep breath in every steps she take. She would not lose.

When she had finished the third lap, she still continued running. She wiped the sweat dripping from her forehead. She was breathing so hard, but she still continued running. She looked at Logan and Victor who were still watching her.

Logan looked at Victor. "Why do you think that she will give up at the sixth lap? Don't you think that she'll give up at the third lap?"

Victor shook his head. "Piper is not the type of person to give that easily," he said. He trusted Piper that she wouldn't surrender. He knew that she will continue to run until she reached her limit.

Piper passed the fourth lap. Her vision was getting blurry and she could already see black spots in her vision. The weather didn't help her either. It was so hot that she felt like if she continued running in this kind of situation she might faint. But whenever she looked at the two brothers, she would get more determined to finish the ten laps.

Piper had now finished five laps. _Five more,_ she thought. She looked at Logan.

_Will she finish the ten laps, _he thought.

Piper smirked. Of course she could do it. As long as she was determined to do it, she will be able to reach her goal. This time she looked at Victor. Victor gave him a wave and a smirk. He had a smug expression on his face.

_Not bad for someone like you, _he said.

Piper gave him a scowl. _Yeah, right, _she said sarcastically. she tore her gaze from them and continued running. This time, she was now aware of the burning pain inside her lungs. She could feel her legs aching. The side of her body was also burning with pain. She gritted her teeth. She couldn't do it anymore. She looked ahead her. _Just one more push, _she thought.

Piper was about to finish the sixth lap. Just a few more steps and she would finish it. As soon as she finished her sixth lap, she stopped running. Her lungs were burning, her sides were sore and his legs were aching. Her heart was pounding wildly against her ribs. Her head was throbbing. She could feel her pulse in her head. Her throat felt dry. She put her hands on her knees since she felt like she couldn't stand straight anymore. She needed to catch her breath before she will continue. Her sweat was dripping down her body to the ground. Her clothes was soak with sweat. Her visions became quite blurry. Her brain ordered her legs to start moving, but she couldn't. It seemed like her legs wouldn't want to listen to her. Her legs felt weak. It seemed like her legs couldn't support her anymore. Then, she was consumed by blackness.

Victor had been watching her closely when she had stopped. There was something wrong. By the way she moved, he could clearly see that something was off. Without any warning, he ran towards her. He didn't know why but he had the sudden urge to go to her. He felt like she needed him.

Logan looked at Victor who had suddenly came running towards Piper. He was baffled. Why was he running as if his life depended on it? He followed him. Whatever it was, he didn't like it,

Victor reached Piper before she could even hit the ground. Victor caught her as she fainted.

Logan started sprinting towards them as soon as he saw her fainting. "What happened?" he asked, clearly worried.

"She fainted," Victor answered standing up with Piper on his arms.

"I can see that," he said, growling slightly. "Why did she collapse?"

"Maybe because of exhaustion and because of the heat." Victor headed inside the house. He went upstairs towards Piper's room. He laid her on her bed. He brushed off the hair that was on her eyes.

Logan stood in the doorway of Piper's room. He observed Victor. He noticed that the way Victor looks at Piper was different. There were admiration and pure love in his eyes whenever he looks at her.

Victor looked at him. "Hey, if you're just going to stand in there, doing nothing you might as well get a damp cloth," he said.

Logan nodded his head and went out.

Victor stared at Piper. She was really weak. Her stamina was low. She was not used in physical activities since she always uses her mind. He sighed. _You sure are unusual,_ he thought. He smirked. That was what he liked the most about her. She was different from the others.

Logan appeared holding a damp cloth. "Here," he said, handing the cloth to Victor. He sat at the other side of the bed. He looked at Piper.

Victor started to dab the cold damp cloth on Piper's forehead.

Logan cleared his throat. "So, um, about the other day. When you asked me a question involving Piper, why did you ask it?"

Victor looked at him, clearly baffled. "Huh?"

Logan scratched his head. "Do you remember the time when we returned from the war, you asked me if my feelings for Piper had changed, right?"

Victor remembered what Logan was talking about. "Yeah, what about it?" he asked. Why was Logan asking him about that one. That was long ago.

Logan sighed. "Well, I asked you a question and you didn't answer it. And now I want to know the truth."

Victor froze. He looked at Logan straight in the eyes. "What do you want to ask?" He was afraid that Logan would eventually realized what he was thinking at that time.

"Why did you ask that question?"

Victor sighed. "You want to know the truth?"

Logan nodded his head.

Victor shrugged. It never hurt to be honest with your brother, right? "I'm worried," he responded.

Logan looked at him with a confused expression.

"I was worried that your feelings towards Piper had changed since mine had also changed. I was afraid that we might get into a fight since we both like her."

Logan remained quiet. Just like what he had thought. Why did he just notice it now? Piper had always been the most important person in their lives. He should have known that time will pass and things will change. His feelings for her became stronger. He should have also known that Victor's feelings for her would become stronger too.

Victor realized that Logan seemed to be thinking deeply. "Hey?"

Logan looked at him. "I will never back down," he murmured.

Victor raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"I said, I won't hide my feelings for her anymore. She should know it by now. We're not kids anymore."

Victor shrugged. For him, Piper was still the same little girl that he had seen when he saved her in that fateful night. The kid whom he had swore to protect. "Then good luck."

The two brothers looked at each other straight in the eyes. A spark of rivalry was lit. The fight was on. It was up to Piper to decide who'll be the winner. There was no backing down now.....

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**Well...what do you think?....sorry if it was kinda boring...my mind was a little empty when I had typed that one...anyway thanks for reading it....please review!! ^^**


	11. Part Ten: FINALLY

**HEY!! ^_^...I finally finished this chapter...I was having trouble ending it...Anyway thanks for the reviews...I'm sorry if my grammar sucks and if I had misspelled some words...I'm open with constructive criticism in my reviews...It will be really helpful...I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter ^_^**

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Part Ten: FINALLY

Piper woke up. The first thing that she had seen was the pillow that she was hugging so tightly. The second thing that she had seen was the pile of books beside her bed. At first, she was wondering what had happened. Why was she inside her room? She was supposed to be outside, learning how to fight. She rolled out bed, finally noticing that her legs were sore. She felt like her whole body had been trampled by a giant.

The door opened and Logan peered in. He noticed that Piper was already awake. He gave her a grin. "Morning," he said, making his way towards her.

Piper turned around to face him. "Good morning, Jimmy," she said giving him a smile.

Logan smiled back. "How are you feeling?"

"Hm, I think I'm feeling numb," she said.

"Well it was obvious that you're not used to exercising," Logan said with a smirk.

Piper pouted. "No I'm not. I'm used to exercising," she said, defensively.

Logan chuckled. "Well, you better take a break for today. I think teaching you how to fight is a bad idea."

"Not it's not," Piper snapped. How many times did she have to tell them that she was capable of learning how to fight.

Logan sighed. She was stubborn as always, nothing unusual about that one. He looked at her. "Victor and I had talked about this and--"

"What did Victor say?" Piper asked. She wanted to hear what Victor had said. She knew that Victor would understand her. He usually does...sometimes.

Logan looked hesitant. To be honest, Victor had thought of allowing Piper to learn how to fight. He scratched his head. "Well, he said that you could cancel the training and just forget about fighting, but he also said that you could still continue if you wanted to."

Piper beamed at him. She knew it. Victor would still let her learn how to fight. She knew that he will understand her when it comes to that part. He had been saving her from so many incidents already, so he might think that letting her learn how to fight will be a good idea for her.

Logan sighed. He just couldn't resist to let her down. _Maybe I'm spoiling her a little, _he thought.

Piper roller her eyes at his comment. "Of course you're not spoiling me."

Logan let out a chuckle. "Anyway, there's breakfast waiting for you downstairs. Someone came in here. Guess who it was."

Piper looked at him with a puzzled expression. Who would visit them? "Hm, I don't know, but who cooked breakfast?" She looked at Logan.

Logan smiled. "Definitely not us," he responded.

Piper laughed. "Well, that's a relief," she sneered.

"Well, then, let's go downstairs," Logan said. He examined her. "Could you move in that state?" he asked.

Piper shrugged. "Maybe." She took a step forward when she suddenly felt pain shot to her legs. It seemed like in every move she made, her muscles felt like it was being stretched, abusively.

Logan went towards her and put a supporting hand on her shoulder. "You alright?" he asked, concerned.

Piper nodded her head. "Y-yeah," she lied. She took another step forward and she felt another pain though this time it was less painful.

Logan looked at her, still not taking off his hand from her shoulder. He wanted to make sure that she would not fall.

In every step that Piper took, she felt a jolt of pain from her legs, but it lessened as she continued walking. Logan didn't remove his hand from her shoulder, in case she might lose her balance. They had eventually got downstairs. Victor was sitting on the couch, watching them. He seemed to be in an unpleasant mood. He was glaring at Piper and Logan as soon as they got downstairs.

"Whoa, what's with that expression?" Logan asked smirking.

Victor ignored the mock in Logan's voice. He looked at Piper. "How are you?" he asked.

Piper shrugged. "Fine, I guess."

Victor snickered. "Should have known that you're not used to the exercise," he taunted.

Piper laughed.

Logan smiled as soon as she started laughing. He just couldn't stop smiling whenever he sees Piper happy. There was something about her that made you feel comfortable.

Piper stopped laughing abruptly as soon as she heard someone's thoughts inside the house. She looked at Victor. "Who're here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Victor sighed. He didn't want to be the one who'll tell her the news. "Alice," he murmured.

Piper looked at him with a surprised expression. She had almost forgot about her. It had been a long time since she had last seen her. "Where's she?" she asked.

Logan seemed hesitant to say where she was. He cleared his throat before answering her. "She's in Victor's room."

Piper looked at Logan and then to Victor. She couldn't stop laughing.

Victor rolled his eyes. She had read his mind again. "What's funny?" he asked, annoyed.

Piper calmed herself down. "Did she really do that?" she asked, trying to confirm if what she had seen in Victor's head was true.

Victor shrugged, muttering something. "Maybe," he said. He didn't want to answer that question. He just couldn't help but get irritated when he remembered what happened that morning. It made him feel like he wanted to strangle someone to death.

Logan smiled, again. "That girl is unusual, don't you think?"

Piper nodded her head in agreement. "She sure is." She looked at Victor. "Are you happy to see your sweet little girlfriend again?"

Victor growled. He hated it when someone does that. "Who told you that she's my girlfriend?"

Piper's smile widened. She just loved it whenever Victor get irked.

Victor looked at her, trying to find any hint of jealousy. He was hoping that at least she would get a little jealous since Alice still hadn't given up on him...yet. He smiled as he imagined Piper getting a little work up because of Alice.

Piper shook her head. "Just keep dreaming," she told him.

Victor smirked.

"PIPER!!!"

Piper turned around to see Alice. She was running towards her. She hugged Piper as she reached her. "It had been a long time," she said.

Piper giggled. "Well, actually it had only been three days. Oh and please take it easy. I feel like my body would fall apart anytime."

Alice pulled away from her. "But three days is already a long time."

Piper flashed her a smile. "Yeah. Why were you in Victor's room anyway?"

Alice smiled, slyly. "Since I wanted to check out his room," she whispered.

Piper giggled. "Anyway, Logan and Victor told me that you cleaned the house. Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome," Alice said.

Logan watched the two girls as they continued talking. He went towards Victor and sat beside him. He looked at him, with a smirk. "Well, what will you do if she's here?" he asked.

Victor looked at Logan. "Who 'she'?"

"Alice."

Victor thought for a moment. "Nothing. I'm sure that she had already understand that she's not the type of girl that I like."

Logan chuckled. "Really?"

Victor shrugged. "Let's just wait."

Piper looked at Logan and Victor. She rolled her eyes. She just couldn't understand the thoughts of men. She turned her attention back to Alice.

Alice noticed that Piper had looked at Logan and Victor. She felt a little jealous since she still wasn't over Victor. "So, um, did you know that Victor already likes someone?"

Piper looked at her. She knew that Alice still had this thing to Victor and she knew what she was thinking. "Yeah," Piper responded.

Alice forced a smile. "You knew who it is?"

"Well, I had just discovered during the celebration," Piper said. She knew that this conversation was hurting Alice. "I'm sorry."

Alice shook her head. "You shouldn't say sorry to me. It's not your fault." She looked at Piper and then bowed down her head. It seemed like she was about to cry.

Piper thought that it was a good time to change the subject. She cleared her throat. She couldn't deal with crying people. "So, what brings you here?" she asked.

"Well, we're moving out of our house. We're not going to stay in here anymore so I thought you might want to know," Alice responded.

Piper heard her sobbed. She didn't know what to do. "W-wait a minute. Please don't cry." She led Alice to sit on the couch.

Logan and Victor looked at each other. They we're not used to see someone crying. They watched Alice, uncomfortably.

Piper patted Alice's back. "Hey, don't cry. If you cry, you'll get older," she said. _That was a stupid thing to say, _Piper thought.

Alice sniffled. She looked up at Piper. Her eyes had gotten puffy and red. "Yeah, I know that."

Piper smiled. "There's nothing to cry about. Sure, you'll not going to see us again, but you could still meet somebody new, right?"

Alice nodded her head.

"Then, what are you crying at? There's more to life than crying you know." Piper heard someone snickered. She looked at Victor and glared at him.

Alice stood up and wiped the tears on her eyes. "You're right. I'm so sorry to intrude." She went towards the door. "Good bye, Piper, it was a pleasure to meet you," she said. She was about to leave but she froze. She looked back at Victor and winked.

Victor smirked and winked back at her. After that, she left.

Piper felt a little jealous. _What was that for? _she asked Victor.

Victor shrugged. _It's a secret. _

Piper gave him a scowl. _What's the secret all about?_

_Why? You jealous? _

Piper rolled her eyes. _Whatever. _

Victor can't stop grinning. Logan watched his brother. He didn't like the way he smiled. He looked at Piper who was scowling at Victor.

_Hm,_ Logan thought. _They might have another argument._

"So what's for dinner?" Victor asked looking at Piper.

"I don't know," Piper answered. She tried moving her arm, but it felt heavy.

Logan watched Piper. "I think it'll be better if you just forget about fighting."

Piper looked at Logan. She shook her head. "No I won't."

Logan sighed. He looked at Victor, expecting him to back him up.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt if she learns how to fight, right?" Victor said.

Piper beamed at him. "He's right."

Logan let out another sigh. He just couldn't understand them. Sometime, they're fighting and sometimes they're allies. He shook his head. "Fine."

**After Dinner....**

The stars twinkled above Piper's head as she sat on the front porch of their house. It seemed like the moon was smiling down at her. She smiled back at it. The chilly wind blew. It was summer but whenever it was nighttime, it gets a little cold. It was already late, but Piper still didn't want to sleep. She thought that she had enough sleep already. Her body was a little sore but she was feeling better.

"It's late already."

Piper turned around to see Logan. He sat beside her. He sighed. "What are you doing here?" he asked her.

Piper shrugged. "I just thought that it's a nice time to look at the stars."

"Is that so," Logan said. He grinned.

Piper smiled. The two of them fell silent. They just looked up the sky. Whenever Logan was with Piper, his whole personality changes.

"So, um, Piper." Logan didn't know why but he had the feeling that now was the right time to tell her something.

Piper looked at him. "Yeah?"

"What am I to you?" He didn't know how to tell her.

"Hm, let's see," Piper said. "I think of you as my brother and my best friend."

"Is that all? Nothing else?"

Piper nodded her head. "Why did you ask?"

Logan shrugged. "Because I don't want to be a brother to you and a friend."

Whatever Logan was thinking, Piper blushed. She knew what he was thinking and what he wanted to tell her. "Yeah, I know," she said, softly.

Logan looked at her, surprised. "You know?"

"I can read your mind," Piper pointed out.

Logan chuckled. "Almost forgot about that."

Piper two of them remained silent again. They looked up the sky.

"Is it tough?" Logan asked.

Piper looked at him. "What's tough?"

"You know, in choosing between the two of us."

Piper shrugged. "Why do I have to choose?"

Logan sighed. "We're already adults, Piper. We cannot play family forever. There will be a time where we'll have to live our lives separately. I know you're hoping that we'll be like a family forever, but that will never happen. Nothing will last for eternity."

Piper looked torn. She knew that time will come where their feelings for each other will change. She just didn't want everything to change. She covered her eyes. She was thinking.

Logan stared at her. He smiled. His smile was sad, but it was still sincere. "You're in love with Victor, right?"

Piper instantly looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"You see me as a fried and a brother, right?"

Piper nodded her head, slowly, as if trying to absorb what he was telling her.

"What about Victor? What do you see in him?"

Piper thought about it. Nothing came to her mind. What does she see in Victor? Her mind went blank. When she thought about Victor, her heart began beating faster. Why was her heart pounding faster? She hadn't felt anything like this before....or she did experience it but she hadn't realized it.

Logan waited for her reply. It seemed like he was holding his breath. He was afraid to hear her answer, but still, he needed to hear it.

"I don't know," Piper murmured, looking down.

Logan's heart sunk. He was correct. She loves Victor. He smiled. "Then, you love him." Even if her words stung him, he still felt like he was happy for her. She had finally realized it.

Piper looked at Logan's eyes. He was hurt. She felt a little guilty about it. She had hurt him, badly, but it was better to tell him the truth than lie to him. She knew that the truth hurts, but a lie is worse. "Yeah," she said, softly.

Logan let out a sigh. It seemed like he felt relieved. He didn't know why, but he felt like the heavy thing that he was carrying on his shoulders were lifted. He felt free. "I know." He was happy for Piper for she had realized her true feelings, but still, there was some part of him that kept on telling him that it would be better if Piper had chosen him.

Piper smiled, sadly. She didn't want Logan to get hurt. "But, you'll still my best friend that I will never ever forget," she said, comfortingly.

Logan returned her smile. "That will be an honor." He got up and helped Piper up. He bowed down to her, as if he was asking her to a dance.

Piper giggled. "What's that for?"

Logan shrugged. "I don't know."

Piper couldn't help it. She hugged him. "Thanks," she whispered.

Logan smiled. "You're always welcome."

Piper pulled away from him. "Well, let's get inside the house. I think it is getting chilly."

"Sure," Logan said. He led her inside the house. At first, Logan thought that he had seen a figure that hurriedly went upstairs. He smirked. _It might be my imagination,_ he thought.

Piper and Logan didn't know that Victor had been listening to their conversation. Victor couldn't stop smiling when he returned to his room. _Finally,_ he thought, _she understands it..._

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_**Well...what do you think?...sorry if this chapter was, um, boring...anyway thanks for reading this chapter...Please review!! ^^**


	12. Part Eleven: CAN'T HOLD BACK

**Okay…I had a huge problem….I accidentally deleted the old chapter 12 so I'm making a new one since I couldn't find the original one…don't worry the storyline would still be the same but the words will be changed and yeah things like that…Anyway please enjoy…^_^**

Part Eleven: CAN'T HOLD BACK

"Good morning Jimmy," said Victor as he descended down the stairs. There was a smile on his face and Logan didn't like it.

"Good morning." Logan watched his older brother as he plopped down the couch across him. There was something in Victor's smile that tempted Logan to wipe it off his face.

Victor seemed to notice this. His smile became wider. "So, did you sleep well last night?" he asked.

Logan seemed to be surprised to hear his brother asked such question. Usually, Victor would never ask such a thing to him. Victor was known to be a man who didn't seem to care about anyone. Victor was happy about something and Logan seemed to know why. He had a feeling that Victor had been listening to his and Piper's conversation last night. He glared at his brother.

Victor didn't wait for his brother's reply. He had asked a rhetorical question. "Where's Piper?" he asked, getting a little excited. This time, he didn't ask a metamorphic question. The first thing on his mind the moment he woke up was to see Piper.

Logan shot him a look. "She's outside. She told me that she wanted to go to the market for a change."

Victor gave him a questioning look. He knew that Piper hated going to the market. She said that it was too crowded. There were so many thoughts that kept on ringing inside her head that made her feel irked. She would always ask Victor and Logan to go to the market for her.

"I think I'll go outside," said Victor, standing up. He headed towards the door. He could feel the angry looks that Logan had been giving him, but he ignored it.

Logan knew that Victor wanted to go outside because he wanted to see Piper. _It's not over yet, _he thought. He gritted his teeth. He still thinks that it would be better if Piper had chosen him instead of Victor. He's still not giving up. He looked outside the window. He watched Victor as he approached Piper. Victor was his older brother. They had always been there for each other. Nothing can destroy the relationship that they have, but Logan wouldn't hold back when it comes to Piper.

Victor couldn't stop smiling as soon as he saw Piper. He went towards her. "Hey there," he said as soon as he got beside her.

Piper turned to face him. She tried to calm her heart which was beating so wildly. _He's here, _she thought. "H-hey." She turned away, avoiding his gaze.

Victor ignored her reaction. "I heard that you'll go to the market. Well, that was new," he snickered.

Piper crossed her arms, still not looking at him. "Yeah, I was thinking of doing something new for a change since life in here is getting a little boring."

Victor smirked. This could be a good chance for him to get some time alone with Piper. He would like her to answer some of his question. "I'll accompany you," he offered.

Piper glared at him. Seeing his face made her heart beat fast. She ignored it. "No way. I could go to the market myself."

"I would go with you and that is final. I just want to make sure that you'll be safe," Victor said.

"I am capable of going to the market safely without you," she protested. She didn't like to be with Victor, alone. She just couldn't take it. Her heart is beating faster than ever every time she sees him. "You're not coming with me and that is also final." She started walking, leaving him behind.

Victor chuckled. He shook his head. _You're unbelievable, _he said. He followed her, catching up with her in no time.

Piper rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him. She knew that she was acting like a child but she just couldn't help it. She still felt like she was not yet ready to become a woman yet.

Victor smirked. "Put it this way, a girl who is always followed by misfortune may never get out of the market, without getting hurt."

Piper threw him an angry look. "I'm not being followed by 'misfortune' or anything. It's just some accidents," she said, defensively. She started to quicken her pace hoping to leave Victor behind.

Victor shook his head in disbelief. She was so stubborn. He wouldn't miss a golden opportunity to be with her. No way will he throw away something like that. Something like this may never happen again. He snapped out of his thoughts as he felt Piper was trying to get inside his head. _Back off, _he told her.

_Fine,_ she snapped. She just wanted to see what he was thinking. It was frustrating to not know what somebody was thinking.

Victor caught up with her again. This time they didn't say anything. They just remained quiet. The silence that was surrounding them was unbearable and heavy. Victor couldn't take it anymore. Why was Piper unusually quiet? It seemed like the hyper, talkative, carefree girl that he had learned to love was gone and had been replaced by a complete stranger. He looked at her, hoping that she would at least say something.

"So, what made you go to the market? I thought you hated that place?" he asked, casually, trying to have a conversation with Piper.

Piper looked at him. Her heart seemed to freeze when he had spoken up. She had almost forgotten that he was with her. "I-I just thought that doing something new is good for someone's health," she responded, hastily. That was a lousy lie. The truth was that she just wanted to have some time alone to think and nothing else.

Victor raised an eyebrow. He knew that she was lying. "You know, you're not good at lying," he pointed out.

Piper got a little irritated. She really was getting frustrated. How come he could see through her that easily? Was she really that easy to read? "How could you do that?" she asked him.

Victor smirked. "Trust me Piper. I don't need to have some kind of mind reading powers that you have to know what you are thinking."

Piper had a sudden urge to wipe the smirk on his face. He was acting a little too excited and it was making her a little…suspicious. _Could it be that he heard our conversation, _she thought. She looked at Victor with a terrified look on her face. _No way!_ She tried to get inside his head to find some information, but Victor was blocking her again.

"Stop that," Victor said, impulsively.

Piper glared at him and turned away. It was making her feel irritated.

Victor gazed at her intently, as if he was reading her expression. "Piper," he said, softly, "look at me."

Piper ignored him. Her heart was starting to beat wildly now. _Calm down,_ she scolded herself.

Victor suddenly felt annoyed. Why was she avoiding him like that? He was expecting her to be a little sweet towards him now that she had realized it. He gritted his teeth. "Fine, if you're going to be like that then let's have it your way."

Piper gaped at him. She was stunned. She did not expect him to get angry with that. She looked away from him. She could feel her cheeks were getting hotter.

Victor saw at the corner of his eyes that Piper was blushing. He smirked. Seeing that made him feel a little better. He looked at Piper. The town was getting nearer. He could already see the roofs of the houses in the town. "We're almost there," he told her.

The two of them became silent again. This time, it was bearable. It was not awkward or anything. They continued to walk silently.

"So, um, sorry," Victor said, stopping Piper.

Piper looked at him, surprise written all over her face. "Why?" she asked.

Victor shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because I was such a pain."

Piper became uncomfortable now. She looked away from him. "Y-yeah. I forgive you," she said. She continued to walk. What was happening to her? Why was she acting strange?

Victor got a little troubled by how she had acted the whole time. He could not take it anymore. He wanted to know the answer to why she was acting, different. Without thinking, he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her to a secluded corner. No one would disturb them there.

"What are you doing?" Piper asked him as she felt her back hit the wall. Victor's hands were on the wall beside her face, blocking the way for escape. Her heart was beating wildly right now that she felt like her heart would burst out of her rib cage.

Victor leaned towards her. He was looking at her, straight in the eyes. It seemed like he was looking right through her. Piper didn't dare to blink. She stared straight at him. She couldn't read his mind right now since she cannot concentrate.

"What's wrong with you? You're acting strange," Victor asked. He couldn't hold back anymore. His face was getting nearer to Piper's. "Is something bothering you?"

Piper closed her eyes. Victor was getting too close. "You're too close," she squeaked.

Victor realized that they were in an awkward position. He stepped back and put his arms on his side. "Sorry," he said.

Piper opened her eyes now and breathed in deeply. Her heart was beating fast but it was better now that there was some distance between them.

Victor looked at her. "Am I the one who's bothering you?" he asked.

Piper looked at him. She was caught off guard with that question. She didn't know what to answer. She remained quiet.

Victor took that as a yes. His heart sank. He didn't want to see her troubled. He let out a sigh. He looked at her. His dark eyes seemed like he was pleading.

Piper looked away, trying to hide her face since she was blushing.

Victor took her hand and brought it to his lips. "I'm not holding back anymore. I'll wait for you until you'll really understand your feelings," he said. He let go of her hand. He was tempted to kiss her lips but he knew that Piper was not yet ready.

Piper stared at him with wide eyes. She didn't care if he could see that her face was so red. The two of them held eye contact for a moment. She was trying to figure him out. She cleared her throat. Things were getting a little awkward. "I think I changed my mind. I'll just head back home. I'm not in the mood to go to the market." She turned around, leaving Victor behind.

Victor watched Piper as she went away. _Now look at what you had done, idiot, _he said to himself. He scratched his head, frustrated. He had made her even more confused. He punched the wall, leaving a mark on it. He had broken his fist at the impact but he knew that it would repair itself. He didn't know if he should follow her or not. _No, if I follow her, it will only make it worse._ He could feel his bones mending. He sighed. _I better give her some time to realize it herself. _He looked at Piper. She was not far from him, but he felt like she was gone already. He was so angry at himself to the extent that he could feel his nails were getting longer. He was ready to kill anyone…everyone.

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**Well, how is it? If the previous one is better, I'll try my hardest to find it…I'm really sorry..**


	13. Part Twelve: TALK

**Hey guys...Sorry if this took so long to come up...I've been busy the whole week and a lot of thing are in my mind right now....Thanks for the reviews anyway..I hope you'll like this one....^_^**

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**Part Twelve: TALK

Victor felt like Piper was slipping away from him while he watched her continue to get farther away. He looked at her helplessly; hoping desperately that she'd turn around and smile at him, like things were normal. Victors fists clenched tightly as his sharp claws slowly grew longer, curling over his fingers. He wanted to rip somebody's throat out.

With one last glance at Pipers retreating back, he grit his teeth, hard, and turned to run in the opposite direction, trying to get as far away as possible. He thought that it would be a good time to go to the dingy old bar over in the next town, maybe have a drink and mull his situation over.

Looking back once more, he hoped to catch Piper staring after his departure, and what he saw didn't disappoint him. He smiled when he saw her cheeks grow rosy and quickly turn around. Even though it happened so fast, he had really seen her gazing after him. That made him felt a little better but still, he knew that he made Piper even more confused.

Victor slowed to a long stride once a wood tavern came into view. The crisp, cold air bit at his skin as his long dark coat billowed behind him. He shoved his hands in his pockets the moment he got through the door and immediately noticed a group of burly men in the corner already eyeing him suspiciously. He glared at them, wrinkling his nose at the stench of hard liquor and tobacco smoke.

Not a single occupant seemed to be even remotely in their right mind as they swayed on their feet and shouted obscenities. It was so noisy inside. He took a seat on an empty barstool in front of a long oak counter. A bartender was with him within seconds.

"What do you want?" asked the bartender, looking at him curiously. He didn't like this mysterious mans smoldering stare. There was anger boiling behind those dark eyes.

Victor smirked, his lip curling back over one sharp canine. He could sense the fear wafting off of this man in front of him. Maybe this will be amusing, he thought. His expression turned neutral and he shrugged, "I would like anything as long as I could get a drink."

The bartender's eyes roamed over Victors menacing form briefly and thought for a moment, then left only to return shortly with a mug of beer. "Here, it's on the house. It looks like you didn't have a good day," he said, handing Victor the cold brew.

Victor didn't look up. He had started idly carving pictures on the counter top with an extended claw.

The bartender watched him with a rush of trepidation. The brooding man in front of him was clearly not human. He scanned the smoky room for any onlookers, and then he leaned closer to Victor over the counter. "If you're not normal, then you better not tell anyone. No one wants to be around someone who's not normal," he whispered.

"Is that so," Victor snickered. He withdrew his sharply protruding set of claws. He looked back at the bartender and gave him a sarcastic smile, "What about you? Aren't you normal?"

The bartender shook his head. "No, I'm not normal. I'm just like you."

Victor's expression seemed to darken upon hearing himself compared to another who was certainly not Logan. "You're not like us. No one is the same as us. We're different. No one could ever understand us," he hissed.

The man on the other side of the counter was absolutely shaken at the sudden outburst from the strange mutant. He straightened up, "You're not the only one who's different," he murmured and left.

Victor stared after the bartender as he made his leave. His quiet words reminded him about something Piper had told him when he first turned seventeen. Victor suddenly shook his head, trying to get it out of his mind. He threw his head back and drank the rest of the frothy golden liquid in one big gulp. He set the mug down firmly on the countertop with a loud thud.

Then, the men inside the bar became quiet. Everyone was staring at him, the air pungent with hostility. The way they looked at him made Victor smirk. It seemed like they wanted to fight with him, and this was a feeling from others that Victor was very used to receiving. _Bastards,_ he thought. He turned around to face what he hoped would come, a brawl. "What are you staring at?" he asked, casually.

A man with long beefy arms hanging at his sides, making him look not much different than huge gorilla, stepped out of the group. He had a long beard, and he was bald, drunk, and still glaring at Victor who he now stood in front of, "I don't like your attitude, kid," he said. The man looked like he was in his forties, definitely older than Victor who was in his twenties, who merely shrugged at the man, unafraid.

He knew what he could do to the old man, and what the old man couldn't do to him. "So? You can hate my attitude as long as you want, but you can't ask me to change it. You're not the boss."

Victors smirk grew wider as soon as he saw the man's face redden with outrage. The man curled his meaty fingers into a fist, about to punch Victor, when the bartender interrupted.

"If the two of you are going to fight, go outside," he ordered.

The snide look on Victor's face didn't disappear, the man held eye contact for a moment, until he grumbled and turned away.

_What a coward, _Victor thought, looking around to see that the other drunks hadn't taken their eyes off him. He snorted. _Pathetic bastards. _Thrusting the empty mug in his clenched hand at the bartender, he demanded, "More."

The bartender looked at him wearily before snatching the mug out of his hand. He left Victor to get some more liquor. When he returned he set the cold beer down in front of him, "This one will be free if you answer some of my questions."

Victor gave him a calculating look before deciding that whatever the bartender wanted, he didn't care. "Fine," he scoffed, grabbing his drink and downing it.

"So, what's your name," asked the bartender.

"Victor. Yours?"

"Bob," he answered.

Victor chuckled, "Your name is Bob?"

The bartender nodded his head, "Now, what can you do?"

Victor glanced at his empty mug first then looked back Bob, "I'll answer that question if you let me have another beer. Make sure that it's free."

Bob eyed him suspiciously once more before grudgingly giving in. He took the glass mug and poured some more, handing it back to Victor, "Now, answer me."

Victor couldn't believe that someone would be this desperate to know what he could do, most were desperate to _not_ find out. _He's a joke, _he thought as he looked at Bob. Raising a hand, he slowly extracted, one at a time, five very sharp, long, and very real claws that looked like they belonged on a mythical beast.

Bob stared at his natural born weapons with awe. It was the first time that he's seen something like that. He made sure that no one was paying them any mind before asking, "Since when did you have those?"

Victor shrugged and said, "Since I was young." He nudged his empty mug with the back of his hand towards Bob with a sly smile, "Since I answered another question from you, give me another one."

Without saying anything a word, the bartender refilled his drink, giving it to Victor. "Here," he said grumpily, now realizing that his curiosity was starting to cost him.

"How about you? What do you do?" Victor asked, looking at his drink.

Bob shrugged, "I can mimic the voices of other people," he replied just as he heard another customer beckoning him across the room, "Well then, good day Victor."

Victor smirked. _What _did_ that man want? _He let out a low chuckle that could have been mistaken for a growl before gulping down the contents of his mug. Suddenly not in the mood to drink anymore, he stood up and walked out of the tavern. It was already dark outside, which made him realize just how long he had been in the bar. He scratched his head. It seemed like he had forgotten the reason why he even went in there.

His dark eyes turned skyward to see that the stars were already visible. There was no place to go but back home now, he decided with a sigh. Victor's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he heard a growl that did not come from this throat. He laughed when he realized it was coming from his stomach. It would definitely be a good time to go home now. The thought of food made him think of Piper. _I wonder what she's thinking right now. Is it a good time to talk to her yet? _ He shrugged. Well, sooner or later she would be okay, he just knew it.

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As Piper returned home, she knew Victor wouldn't follow her. She dragged herself towards the stairs and didn't notice Logan who was sitting on the couch, watching her.

"What happened?"

She hastily spun around with her eyes wide and startled. "Sorry," he amended quickly as he stood up and went towards her, "So, what happened? Where's Victor?"

Piper shrugged nonchalantly, "I don't know." She continued moving towards the stairs as Logan watched her helplessly. It seemed like she was thinking about something that was bothering her. If her ragged appearance and vacant expression told Logan anything, it was that. He sighed, unable do anything since he really didn't know how to handle a depressed Piper. _Well, Victor isn't here so I'm the best she's got, _he thought as he started to follow her.

"I'm fine, Jimmy," Piper said as soon as Logan had entered her room. She sat down on her bed and grabbed a pillow, smashing it's plush white fabric over her face to block out the vision of the worried man standing in her door way.

"Well, it doesn't look like you're fine," Logan said, sitting beside her.

Piper didn't say anything.

Logan sighed, "You could tell me what's bothering you."

Piper took off the pillow and glared at him, "Nothing is," she snapped.

Logan rolled his eyes, "Don't be childish."

"I am _not_ childish," said Piper who pouted slightly. Logan suddenly erupted with a fit of laughter. "What's so funny?"

"It's just that kind of face you do," he said, voice tainted with unrestrained mirth.

Piper smiled at Logan gratefully, hearing him laugh made her feel so much better. He could understand her in some ways that no one else could.

"Now, tell me what's troubling you."

Piper sighed wearily. It couldn't hurt to tell him, right? She closed her eyes before saying with a steady voice, "Maybe I'll tell you later. Right now, I think I want to get some sleep."

Logan stared at her sadly; how he wished that she'd just open up to him. As he looked at Piper, he felt a little sympathetic. It seemed like she wasn't changing at all like him and his brother were. Her appearance still looked the same as when she was 14 years old. Strange, maybe he's just imagining things. He stood up and left without a backward glace, respecting her space. _I guess I'll be eating lunch alone, _he thought.

Everything that had happened that day made Piper exhausted, it had taken a heavy emotional toll on her. The only thing she felt like doing was going to bed. She was tired of being confused, what was she really feeling? Even as she drifted off to sleep, there were still questions that kept on ringing inside her head, questions that needed answering.

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_She felt like she was falling, falling down to nowhere in particular, as if she were in a bottomless pit. Gravity was pulling her closer to the darkness. Feeling frightened as the harsh wind whipped around her spiraling form, she called out for help, but no one was answering her. Then she came to an ugly conclusion, she was alone and that made her even more afraid. Her heart was beating as fast as a humming birds wings, she didn't want to be alone. A spark of hope lifted her spirits when she remembered that Victor or Logan would come. She closed her eyes against the terrifying blackness to wait, but no one came to her aid. She was still falling. _

_Piper opened her eyes after realizing that nothing would happen if she just waited, it was weak to continue depending on them to help her get out of her own trouble. After a deep and calming breath, she let her eyes slide shut once more, this time concentrating on lifting her body out of the pit. _

_She focused her mind, trying to recall the sensation of someone carrying her to see if that would help. Piper gasped as she suddenly felt like she was being pushed upwards by an invisible force, she was going up. She could do it, she could now see light at the end and knew she would reach it. Just a little more and she could get out of this place. Piper was elated, until something suddenly caught her attention. It was Victor, and he was falling._

_She cried out for him, but not a sound came out of her mouth. A pair of arms shot out, flailing desperately to reach him but she just couldn't reach far enough. She felt like sobbing as he quickly started to disappear, but no tears would come. All she could do was watch him fall down, she felt numb. Her whole being was screaming at her to save him, but she just couldn't do anything. Useless. Piper stared blankly after her best friend being pulled away by gravity into nothingness. _

The mind reader woke up out of breath, her body slick with sweat. _It was just a dream, _she thought, immediately seeking comfort in that fact. She was lying on her stomach and it was already evening. She wanted to get out of bed but the shock of her nightmare kept her rooted to the mattress.

_I'm so weak, I couldn't even summon the strength to save him, _she thought miserably. The tears that didn't want to come out in her dreams now streamed heavily down her cheeks.

_Stop crying like a child, _she told herself. The tears continued to flow relentlessly. Piper wished she had someone there to comfort her, but at the same time, she didn't want anyone to see her like this. _If Logan saw me, he'd probably say some kind words to me like, "It's just a dream, nothing to worry about." _She hiccuped and paused briefly before sucking in a breath to let out another sob. _If Victor was the one to find me right now, I just know he'd tell me not to cry over such a stupid dream._

_Or he wouldn't say anything and just let me cry, like what he had done during those hard times. _Her heart felt heavy, this dream had shaken her worse than any other. Thinking about Victor's death made her feel so empty. She was almost afraid to close her eyes again, as if she'd have to experience the same dream again if she lost sight of her bedroom. So she stared at her hands instead. Piper squinted; her vision was still blurred by her tears. She felt a sudden burning desire to seek out Victor's conscious, and felt relieved as she soon discovered he was in the house.

Victor was okay. Exhausted from crying, she closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep. Her last thought before laying her mind to rest was: _Things will be better as long as he's here…_

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_**Thanks for reading this chapter!!!! So what do you think? ^^**

**Beta read by: Miechieco**


	14. Part Thirteen: RIVALRY

**Well, hope that you'll like this one…and I have nothing to say…nothing…..WAIT!! I have something to say…well, in our country, our school starts during June and that means, I'll be very busy this months…as in BUSY since I'm studying hard to maintain my good grades……but don't worry…I'll not be entirely busy….^^ anyway please enjoy..^_^

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Part Thirteen: RIVALRY

Logan looked up as soon as he heard someone approaching the house. It was evening and the sun had set, making it just dark enough to let a few stars dot the sky. The moon resembled a pearl resting on a blanket of black velvet.

Victor walked towards home silently. He was hungry, and expected dinner to be on the table. _I wonder what Piper's doing, _he thought. He reached the door and opened it without bothering to knock. It was his house after all. The first thing he noticed was his brother sitting on the couch, once again reading about daily events and disasters.

"Is that what you always do? Just sit there and read the paper?" Victor snickered as he plopped down on the couch beside his brother.

Logan's eyes darted to him and he scowled, "What do you care?"

Victor looked sideways at Logan, "What's with you? Why are you mad at me? I didn't do anything."

"Of course you did something, Victor. Piper got home today and she's troubled."

Victor raised an eyebrow, "So? That doesn't mean I'm the one who's bothering her."

Logan gritted his teeth, "Well, you usually do."

The two of them became silent for a moment, not speaking to each other to the point where the silence became awkward. They just stared at nothing, that is, until they heard the sound of hitching breath and muffled sobs coming from inside a nearby room. Victor and Logan looked at each other, they knew who it was. They were both instantly on their feet barreling their way over to Piper's room.

"What do you think happened to her?" Logan asked, clearly worried.

Victor shrugged, "Whatever it is, it's really bothering. She rarely cries."

Logan nodded his head in agreement. His brother was right. She never seemed to cry except when she was really hurt, emotionally. They stopped in front of the door and stood.

"You open it," Victor said with a grin.

Logan shook his head, he had a feeling they shouldn't disturb Piper. "You open it."

Victor frowned in concentration, also having the feeling that opening that door would be a bad idea. "Nah, you open it. I know you're really worried about Piper."

Logan smirked, "Isn't it you're the one who said that we should check her out? You open it. You're more worried than me, right?"

They looked at each other and debated wordlessly in their minds who would be the one to cross the threshold.

"Fine, I'll open it," Logan said.

Victor smiled in triumph, "Yeah, open it," he ordered.

Logan looked at him warily before putting his hand on the doorknob; taking a deep breath he turned the knob slowly in his grasp.

Victor rolled his eyes, "Don't be so melodramatic," he sneered.

Logan shot him an angry glare before opening the door a crack and taking a peek inside, it was dark and quiet. He opened the door wider and let himself in, immediately going towards Piper's unmoving form. She was sleeping, peacefully. He glanced over his shoulder at Victor who still stood in the doorway before returning his attention to Piper. It didn't look like she had cried. Before leaving, his eyes scanned over Pipers face one last time and noticed two glistening tracts going from the top of her high cheekbones to the bottom of her jaw line. He cupped her face with one hand and carefully ran his thumb over her tears. Standing up he turned on his heel and left her, closing the door behind him.

"So?" Victor asked as soon as he saw Logan out of her room.

"She cried alright," Logan responded. He passed his older brother and went downstairs, Victor followed close behind him.

"Why is she crying?" Victor asked.

Logan shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe I should ask you the same question."

"And why would you?" Victor drawled with an arched eyebrow.

"That's because you're always the reason she's crying."

Victor glared at him, a deep growl rippling in his chest. "Why am I the only one?"

"That's because you kept on cornering to her!" Logan hissed with his hands balled into fists at his sides, his face was tinted red with rage.

Victor could feel his deadly claws grow longer, "That doesn't mean that she's upset because of that, and what do you mean by corner?"

Logan noticed that Victor was crouched in a fighting stance, allowing his physical mutation to make him look like a fierce predator that never gives up on its prey. If his broad older brother ever hit him, he'd be ready. They looked at each other for a while, their stances tensed.

"FAMILY ISN"T SUPPOSED TO FIGHT LIKE THAT!"

Logan and Victor quickly turned to see Piper standing at the top of the stairs looking disheveled and furious. They hadn't realized how loud they had been arguing. Piper walked downstairs and glared at the both of them.

"Fighting will do nothing but make your misunderstandings bigger and you should know that. The two of you are brothers, and brothers protect each other, not tear each other's head off," she lectured.

Logan sheathed his claws, as did Victor. They glanced at one another.

"Sorry," Victor said, looking away. What Piper had said hit him hard; it was similar to what he had said the night he and his little brother ran away. The two of them swore to each other that they'd look after each other. He was the older brother, so he should be the one to take care of Logan _and_ Piper.

Logan looked away too, "I'm sorry for what I said."

Piper sighed in relief, "That's better. Now, let's eat. I'm starving," she said cheerfully.

Logan let out a chuckle and looked at his brother, "It seems like nothing had happen at all," he whispered.

Victor smirked, knowing that whispering was useless. Piper could still hear them.

"I heard what you said, Jimmy," Piper informed, as if on cue with a sly smile.

Logan rolled his eyes. He was still irritated with Piper's ability on occasion, even if they had been together for so many years already.

"What's for dinner?" Victor asked Piper before she could even get to the kitchen.

Piper shrugged, "I don't know."

"Then what will you cook? I'm hungry," Victor said.

Piper smiled and her eyes glittered with mirth, "Food is the only thing in your mind, isn't it?"

Victor laughed, "Maybe."

Piper shook her head in disbelief. She just couldn't understand what he was thinking at all. He was like a puzzle that she had been trying to solve for a long time already, Victor knew how to keep his mind away from secrets he didn't want her to know. She snapped out of her thoughts when she realized that the man she was thinking of had been staring at her. "What?" she asked, getting a little red in the face.

Victor smirked, "You're thinking of me," he teased.

Piper stuck out her tongue at him. "Never! Not in a million years." She turned on her heels and went towards the kitchen, fuming. _Idiot, _she thought.

Victor chuckled warmly. She was back to her normal self. _Just a little more time, _he thought. He felt content as he sat back on the couch.

Logan stared at him. What's with the grin on his brother's face? He didn't like it, not at all. His older brother was wearing the same smug look that he had had on his face since this morning. "What's with that smile?" he asked, eyeing his brother suspiciously.

"Just nothing," Victor responded.

Logan narrowed his eyes, he didn't buy it.

Victor stared calmly back at him, "What? Can't a man be happy?"

Logan shook his head, dismissing their conversation.

Piper was leaning on the counter while the kitchen was full of activity with the task of cooking. That strange dream she had just witnessed made her thoughtful. What if something like that happened? What if Victor really died? She shook her head fiercely. She didn't want to think about that, she just knew it would be horrible. Piper closed her eyes to try and clear her dizzy head, that dream really spooked her. _What if the dream is telling me something, _she thought. _Maybe, it's telling me to be nice to Victor, look out for him. _She thought about it, but the more she thought about it, the weirder it sounded. _Well, it's just a dream. _She stuck to that, although it continued to plague her mind all day.

_**THE NEXT DAY….**_

Victors steel gray eyes shifted around the empty road. No one seemed to be awake yet. He took a deep breath, inhaling the musty smells of the early morning forests. The sun was rising somewhat reluctantly into the sky. He sighed. Summer had come and gone already. It was chilly outside and the nights were longer. It was good thing he was wearing thick clothes. How come the weather changes so quickly?

"Cold, isn't it," someone said from behind him.

Victor turned around to see Piper standing behind him who was wearing light clothes. She wrapped her arms around herself to try and keep warm. She stood beside him and looked out. "The sun seems to be lazy during autumn," she observed.

Victor shrugged. "Maybe he got tired because of the summer."

"I think Mr. Sun would never get tired of lighting this place up," she said conversationally.

Victor rolled his eyes, "You're talking like a child."

Piper pouted, "So?"

"You're a grown woman now. Don't be childish."

Piper scowled at him, "There's nothing wrong being childish."

"Of course there's something wrong with being childish. No one will respect you."

Pipers glower got more intense, her face was getting redder as her anger built up inside her. She bit her lower lip to prevent herself from snapping back at him. Taking a deep breath, she looked away and spat, "Fine."

That made Victor incredulous. She didn't fight back with him, "Um, you're not going to argue back?"

Piper shook her head, smiling. "I just realized recently that you have always been there for me and I wanted to repay you before it's too late."

Victor looked at her curiously, she wasn't telling him something.

Piper rolled her eyes, "I'm not planning anything," she said, putting on an innocent face.

"Fine," Victor said, still uneasy. It was unusual for her to not go against him. He turned his attention back to the sunrise.

Piper looked up from under her long lashes at Victor. She liked it whenever Victor felt peaceful. She smiled sweetly; his relaxed thoughts made her feel satisfied somehow. Her brow suddenly creased when her mind turned to her dream. Since last night, her imagination had been troubling her. It made her feel…lost. If Victor were to die, she wouldn't know what to do. It was because of that dream that she made a promise to herself to take care of Victor, and of course Logan too.

The two of them stayed in the tranquility of the lazily rising sun, lighting up the whole horizon. The cold wind made Piper shiver.

Victor noticed, "You cold?"

Piper shook her head, pretending she was fine, "No, I'm alright. It's just the wind, nothing wrong about—"

Victor took off the thick black coat he was wearing and draped it around Pipers small shoulders. "How many times do I have to tell you? You're not good in lying." He smirked.

Piper looked away, trying to hide the blush that was creeping upon her cheeks at his king gesture.

Victor chuckled deep in his chest. He liked seeing her get embarrassed.

The two of them grew quiet again. For the moment, it seemed like nothing had happened. Their relationship was the same as before. Piper seemed to have overcome her confusion, she was facing Victor again without having her heart go out of control, but she still couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

"I'm going in," Piper informed him. They had been standing outside for a while now and her feet were getting numb.

Victor didn't seem to hear her, but continued looking at nothing in particular. He was thinking about something and he didn't want Piper to hear it. His thoughts were for himself and no one else.

Piper took off the Victors coat and reached up to put it over him. "This is yours." She patted him on the shoulder and turned around. When she got the front door open she paused to look at Victor, he was smiling at her. This made her stomach drop. She bowed her head and entered the house. The expression on his face was...different. She didn't know what kind of feeling that expression held. The only thing she knew was that it was...special.

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**Well…what do you think? Thanks for reading this chapter…sorry if this one was boring…anyway..please review ^^**

**Beta read by: Miechieco**


	15. Part Fourteen: WARMTH

**Hey guys!! Sorry for the late update...I had been busy for a long time and my beta reader had a problem in giving this one back to me...so anyway....Please enjoy...^_^**

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**Part Fourteen: WARMTH

"Welcome back," Piper greeted Logan when he got home. The cold wind sneaked past the open door and she shivered a little when the cool breeze touched her skin. Summer had already ended and it was the third week of fall, leaving the forest surrounding their house stained orange, yellow, and red. The sun was late in rising, causing the grassy floor to be covered in a blanket of fog, making the day a little gloomy.

Logan nodded his head and quickly got inside. He took off his coat and sighed as he hung it on a nail that had been clumsily hammered on the wall beside the door. He was tired from work and the cold didn't make it any better. In fact, his head was getting a little fuzzy.

Piper looked at Logan, concerned. "Are you alright, Jimmy?"

Logan nodded his head, again, not saying anything. His hands felt numb, it was a good thing Victor had decided to put a stove in the living room. He sat on the couch near the warmth and started to relax. The feeling in his hands started to slowly reappear; it felt nice to find some heat.

Piper leaned on the wall, observing Logan. It didn't seem like everything was quite alright, his brow was creased and his dark eyes darted around the room, only stopping when came to rest on the glow of the stove, to which he stared intently into "I'll go make you some tea," she suggested.

Before Logan could say no to her offer, she quickly went towards the kitchen to make his tea. He sighed. He could use the hot drink anyway. It was so cold that it seemed like his insides had been frozen solid. He closed his eyes and let out another sigh. He couldn't help it but feel comfortable.

Piper returned shortly, carrying a mug of hot tea. The steam rose from the surface and curled slowly into the air as she handed it to Logan. "Here," she said.

Logan inclined his head in gratitude and accepted the offering, cupping the mug between two hands as he took a sip. The hot liquid slid down his throat, warming his insides and making him feel better.

"Still not used to the cold," Piper said, sitting down beside him.

"Maybe," he responded before taking another sip of the heavenly tea that Piper had boiled.

Since they were kids, Logan was never comfortable in the cold. Piper would usually fetch him a hot drink, and her concoctions were always delicious. Of course, he'd feel better after that, although he could still sense aches in his bones no matter what he did. The frosty weather had always affected him negatively, but he never really knew why.

Piper watched him worriedly as he drank down the tea. She didn't like how rigid his back looked sitting on their cozy couch, "Maybe you should take a rest."

Logan shook his head, "Nah, I'm just cold, nothing else. No need to get worried about that." He flashed her a smile and then finished the tea with one gulp. "Thanks for the tea, again."

Piper took the mug from him and smiled before turning on her heel to deposit the cup in the sink. Once in the kitchen, she felt a presence and looked over her shoulder. It was just Logan.

"Need any help around the house?" he asked, sounding bored.

Piper shook her head. "There's nothing I have to do inside the house. In fact, there's nothing that could be done in this kind of weather," she said, leaning on the counter.

Logan smirked, he knew that there was nothing much to do chore wise. All the hard work was outside; they still had to gather their supplies for the winter. You never knew when a blizzard would come and prevent you from going to town to buy your needs. They didn't want to take any chances.

"Where's Victor?" Piper asked.

"He's still in town," Logan answered, turning his back on her. The two of them fell into an unexpected awkward silence. Neither of them knew what to say next.

"Are you hungry?" asked Piper, clearly not comfortable with the change in atmosphere.

"Yeah," he admitted. "It seems like you can read my mind."

Piper smirked, "Of course I could read your mind."

He chuckled and sat down on one of the chairs to watch Piper as she started making sandwiches. "It's warmer in here," he said, casually, hoping to have a nice conversation with the busy girl in front of him. He had learned that talking about the weather was a failsafe way to get someone to respond.

Piper turned and made her way over to one of the chairs and sat across from Logan, leaving the sandwiches to prepare themselves. "Well, what do you want to talk about?"

"Well, I don't know," he responded. He was expecting Piper to be the one who'd start the conversation. Usually, she's the talkative one. She always had something to say to them anyway, rarely ever running out of stories to tell.

Piper sighed, "Yeah, I know. I have changed a lot for the passed few months." She looked down. "Maybe I'm just growing up." She looked up again and smiled, sadly.

Logan smiled back, wanting her to cheer up. "Well, we're all growing up. Don't worry. That's part of life."

Piper stood up to fetch the sandwiches. She laid the plate in the middle of the table in between her and Logan. "Eat up."

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Victor dragged the sack of bread that he had bought from the market behind him. He was really getting ready for winter since it seemed like it will be here soon, really soon. Looking around he thought that even though it wasn't yet winter, it was freezing outside. Victor was surprised snow hadn't fallen.

Setting down the heavy load he was carrying, he glanced at a man hidden like an amateur behind him. It looks like he was being watched by this stranger the whole time. His lips curled into a tight smile, revealing two sharp canines. Refastening the grip he had on the sack beside him, he lifted it and continued heading towards the house, hoping that it would be warm when he got back home.

Victor cast a glance over his shoulder when he heard the fumbling footsteps of _two_ men trailing after him. _Those pathetic losers,_ he thought. _They're just cowards since they can't face me like a man in a crowd. _He didn't feel threatened by them in the slightest. In fact, they should be the ones scared of him. He was capable of tortures that their soft human minds wouldn't even be able to begin to imagine. Even if they ganged up on him, they wouldn't be able to take him down. He was stronger than them, all of them. Victor could feel his claws getting longer, sharper, deadlier. _Things are definitely about to be fun, _he thought. He looked back to see that the number of men tailing him had increased.

The wind blew harshly, rustling dead leaves that littered the forest floor as Victor passed by familiar trees on a worn path. It was eerily quiet since he was now out of town, but he knew that he wasn't alone. He snorted at the foolishness of the men shrouded in shadows. They were nothing but a bunch of pathetic good-for-nothing pigs that spend their money on booze at the same bar every night. He feigned ignorance to their presence, letting them believe they still had the element of surprise.

"Hey kid, how dumb could you be? Didn't you notice that we were following you for a long time now?"

Victor smirked, the game was about to begin. He turned around to face a dozen of very hostile looking drunks. "Then, how dumb could you be to not know that I had already noticed," he sneered.

The gorilla-like-man that had stood up to him in the pub, was standing in front of the group now. It seemed like he was the leader, and he scowled at Victor.

Victor could see that he was really pissed, which made his smile grow wider. "What do you want anyway?" he asked, sounding bored.

The man chuckled despite his obvious rage and then spat on the ground. "See that," he asked, talking about his spit. "That's what you are."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" he said. His claws were already piercing into the skin of his palm, but he didn't care, it'd heal soon anyway.

The bulky man nodded his head, motioning his allies to surround Victor. There was hunger for a fight on their sweat soaked faces. They circled Victor, making sure that he had no exit routes.

Victor laughed. What kind of strategy is this? Lame. He looked around, eyeing everyone that boxed him in, sensing the apprehension. Already there were holes in their defensive wall. He spaced his arms out in front of him and crouched low, face dark and eyes deadly. The attackers took a step back. Victor wanted to see blood.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Piper paced back and forth in the living room. It was already dark outside and yet Victor still hadn't returned. She was worried; he wasn't even close enough for her to feel his thoughts. The nervous girl didn't know what to do. Dinnertime had long since passed and Victor's plate was still on the table, waiting to be eaten.

"What could possibly have happen to him? What's taking him so long?" Piper asked, her heart beating wildly. What if he was doing something impulsive and reckless?

Logan was seated on the couch and helplessly watched Piper as she continued to pace back and forth. He too was worried for his brother. He knew that Victor wasn't someone to roam around at night. Sure, Victor could be a little careless, but he wouldn't be late for dinner. "Maybe, he had to do something important?"

Piper glared at him. "What could he possibly have to do that's so important that he has to skip meals?" she ranted. Now she was angry. Frustration radiated off her, Piper wasn't used to fretting. And now she was fretting because Victor hadn't returned yet. She let out an aggravated sigh.

Logan was surprised at how intensely she was reacting. He was not expecting to see her this mad today, or stomp up the stairs, which she just did. _What's she up to? _

After a few seconds, she came back down again. This time she was wearing her coat. "I'm going out," she informed. She couldn't stand to sit still while waiting for Victor. His lateness was making her restless.

Logan stood up, "I'm coming with you," he said, leaving no room for argument. He got his own coat that was hanging by the door. It was dangerous for a woman to be outside at a time like this. He wouldn't want her to risk getting into trouble while looking for his hot headed brother and anyway, he wanted to search for Victor himself.

Piper was about to disagree but after reading his thoughts, decided he was right. It was just her luck to happen upon misfortunes. She opened the door and cool wind gusted past her, ruffling her clothes. It made her shiver, but she had to surpass it. She took two deep breaths and left the comfortable warmth of the house. Logan was right behind her. Somehow, it made her feel safe.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Victor dug his claws into the chest of the seventh man to have the guts to attack him one on one. He smirked as the corpse fell to the ground and stained the dirt red. The predator looked around; the remaining men were cowering in respective corners. No one dared to fight him. Fear permeated the air.

The large ape of a man was the most disappointing of them all. He was too afraid to even approach Victor.

The feral mutant had snapped. His hands were soaked with blood that was not his own and he looked around, wildly, trying find the mastermind behind this. His lips formed a thin smile when his crazed eyes landed on a most loathsome man. He took a step forward, wanting to see this pathetic being before him piss himself in terror.

This time his foe's allies had fled, leaving them alone in the night. "Where the hell are you going? Get back here," the man called out to deaf ears. He could feel his insides turn upside down as Victor approached him. He was done for. No one was there to save him. This was his end. He had so many things that he still wanted to do. He never even got to know what it felt like to be rich. He was still too young to leave this earth, not yet ready to say goodbye to his life. This was not the kind of death he expected. For his time to end because of some kid.

Victor raised one of his threatening clawed hands, making the huge man whimper. "Aw, scared?" he snickered.

It was quiet. The only thing that could be heard was the heavy breathing of Victor and his fat prey. The breeze picked up, making the hair on Victor's arm stand upright. Something had caught his attention. He could smell a familiar scent. It seemed like they were coming his way. He lowered his hands and looked around, trying sense what direction the smell was coming from. What if it was the cops? What would they do if they saw a young man with blood-stained hands surrounded by seven dead men? He'd surely be put to jail once they found out he was a mutant, and then be executed with no questions asked.

The scent got stronger and Victor instantly recognized it as his brother and Piper. He felt a little relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with anyone else but almost as quickly deflated as another thought struck him, Piper shouldn't see this kind of thing. He glanced at the giant of a man in front of him. "You're lucky that you're still alive," he snarled. He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Remember that." He let go of him, but before he let him run, he wiped his soiled hand on the other mans shirt. He smirked. "Your souvenir." After that, he left him, following the scent.

The gigantic man bounded off, only sparing a single glance back at the broad form of the mutant. What had gotten into that kid? Why did he leave me alive, he wondered, puzzled. _That guy is strange, but he's interesting also, _he thought. An idea popped inside his mind. _He could join us and if he did, then it would make me rich, _he thought. A greedy man like him couldn't hold a grudge to a person that has something he wants.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Piper shivered, she was thankful for the warmth of Logan's body beside her. _If I see Victor, I'll surely kill him, _she though, angrily. Her hands were beginning to feel numb, as well as her feet. Why did it have to be this cold?

Logan noticed that Piper was getting tired. He quickly cupped her cold hands with his own and squeezed them slightly. "Better?" he asked.

Piper nodded her head.

Logan suddenly let go and froze in his tracks, eyes becoming wide. He inhaled deeply, just having caught the scent of Victor. His brother wasn't far. "He's near," he explained.

Piper let out a sigh of relief, glad he was safe. "Good," she said. She could now feel the thoughts of Victor flooding inside her mind. He seemed pumped up, like something had provoked him. What could it be?

A few seconds later, they could see the see Victor dragging himself towards them.

Logan smiled. He knew his older brother would be alright.

Piper hugged Victor as soon as he stopped and slouched in front of them. So much for killing him as soon as she saw him, "What took you so long," she asked sternly after pulling away from him.

Victor didn't answer her question. "Why are you out here, during midnight? You know that that's dangerous," he nagged.

Piper glared at him. "I may be asking the same question to you," she snapped.

Logan looked from Piper to Victor. It seemed like another argument would start soon again. He could already tell by the way they acted and talked. He rolled his eyes. The two of them would never grow up.

"Mind your own business," Victor said, impulsively. He could tell that Piper was trying to get inside his mind again.

Piper scowled at him. "Fine," she spat.

They held eye contact for a moment. Logan could see the furious fire in their eyes.

Victor tore his gaze from Piper's and looked down to see that she was holding the hand of his little brother. That irked him, and he glared at Logan. "You should have known better than to let her go out of the house this late," he said irritably.

That got Logan confused. He was usually never involved in their fights. "H-huh?"

Victor shook his head. "Let's just go home and forget all about this. I can't stand the cold anymore."

Piper gave him one last scowl before turning on her heel and heading back up the trail without a backward glance.

Logan followed close behind the two of them, eager to feel the warmth of their cozy little house....

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**Well...what do you think? Sorry if it's boring...^^  
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**Beta read by: Miechieco**


	16. Special Chapter: SOMETHING UNFORGETTABLE

**Hey guys, I know it had been a long time since I had updated. Lot of things had been happening in here. Anyway, this is just a special chapter again, but this chapter is not an Logan/Piper, it's a Victor/Piper...I know that I told you last time that in the second special chapter it will focus more on Piper and Logan but I couldn't bring myself to do it, so please enjoy! I just made this chapter so that you'll know that I'm still alive and kicking (should I say typing, XD) Anyway enjoy! ^_^

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Special Chapter: SOMETHING UNFORGETTABLE

_It was dark. Piper couldn't see anything. She was feeling alone. It seemed like no one cared for her. She tried to call out for Logan and Victor but no one came for her aid. She tried running away from the darkness but to no avail, she couldn't escape the grasp of darkness around her. She felt afraid. No one was there to save her now. Just like the time when she was falling down in the endless pit. She had to depend on herself. She shouldn't be weak now that she's in this kind of situation._

_Piper turned around when she felt like someone was creeping up behind her. It was Victor. She opened her mouth to tell him how thankful she was that he was there but no words came out of her mouth. He smiled and held out his hand to her. She tried touching it. She wanted to feel the soft, warm and strong hand that had patted her back since she was a child. She wanted to feel the warmness of it again. Before she could even reach out for his hand, he disappeared. Just like that, his image just disappeared like a mist. _

" NO!!!" Piper sat up, abruptly. She was drenched in sweat. Her head was spinning and she could feel hot tears trickling down her cheeks. _Just a dream, _she thought. Her breathing came out in short gasps. Her heart couldn't stop beating wildly. She couldn't stop feeling scared and cold. She clutched her head. The more she recalled her nightmare the more it hurts. She laid her head on her knees, trying to cease the spinning. She couldn't think straight. She wanted to consult someone about her nightmare. She couldn't keep it inside her for long. It was the second time that she had the same nightmare. It was always Victor who disappeared. She couldn't help but feel torn every time she woke up in her nightmares.

_Why do I keep on dreaming these things? _she thought. _What if these are signs? _She shook her head. _Don't be silly, why would that be a sign? _She closed her eyes and tried to lull herself to sleep, but at the back of her mind, something was troubling her. The same images came flooding back in her mind that she was afraid to close her eyes again. She didn't want to recall those horrible scenes. Without thinking, she got out of her bed and made her way towards Victor's room. She didn't know why but she felt like she needed to see him, talk to him. Her legs felt heavy in every step she took. Her heart was beating slowly. She took two deep breaths and then turned the doorknob. She took a peek inside the room.

As soon as the door creak open, Victor woke up. He sat up and looked at the doorway. He was surprised to see the pale face of Piper. Her green eyes popped out as the moonlight reflected it. It seemed like something was worrying her and she wanted to see him. It was written all over her face that it didn't take him a long time to know what she wanted. He heaved himself out of his bed. He stood in front of the door and opened it wider for her to enter the room.

Piper felt relieved as soon as she saw him awake and fine. She didn't know why but she had been expecting to see him looked sickly since she kept on dreaming his death. "I-I was just thinking of heading back to my room," she told him. She was about to head back to her room when one strong hand landed on her shoulder and pulled her back.

Victor faced Piper to him. He knew that she was bothered about something and she was not yet alright. He looked at her straight in the eyes. "No you don't," he whispered. He didn't want Logan to wake up.

Piper stared at him with her big green eyes. She sighed. She knew that she wouldn't be able to hide anything from Victor since she was like an easy book for him to read. "It's nothing really," she responded. She wished that he wouldn't start firing her questions. She didn't want him to know her nightmare. She didn't want him to be burdened with it, too.

Just one look from Piper, Victor instantly knew that she didn't feel comfortable discussing to him anything that was disturbing her. He smiled reassuringly at her. He didn't want to force her to tell anything to him. He just wanted her to feel comfortable and secured.

Piper smiled, faintly. She now realized why she had chosen Victor over Logan. He could understand her better than anyone else. He knew when to make her feel safe. He was always there for her. She always needed him just like the way he needed her. Out of the blue, she hugged him. She laid her head on his chest. She didn't know why she did something stupid but the only thing that she knew right now was that she felt secured. It seemed like she was a kid again. The Piper that was unafraid of anything.

Victor heart started to beat faster. He didn't know how to react. What should he do? He stiffened but soon relaxed. He wrapped his arms around her, protectively. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. I understand what you feel. You just want to take it off your mind, right? You may be tough outside but inside, you're still the little girl that cannot take the cruelty of the outside world," he said, soothingly. He didn't know what had come into his mind. The words just stumbled out of his mouth, without him knowing it. He couldn't stop himself from saying those words.

Piper didn't say anything. She was glad that he could understand her. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. She didn't know why but she felt like she had always been waiting to need him. She felt peaceful. It seemed like she had forgotten all about the nightmare that she had just seen.

Victor couldn't explain what he was feeling right now. He liked the way it felt like to be needed by Piper. He wanted her to always count on him. He felt like it was his responsibility to take care of her. She was precious to him. He wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her. He was afraid that when the time comes, they'll go to their own separate ways. He had noticed for the passed few years that she didn't seem to age. Her appearance looked exactly the same when she was still 14-years old. No wonder he felt like she still needed protection. He was afraid that she'll be immortal while Logan and him will not live that long to be with her forever. He hugged her tighter. "But if you want to talk about it, I'm always here," he told her, softly.

Piper didn't say anything. Her breathing was even. Victor waited for her response, patiently. He could feel her steady heartbeat. It seemed like she had fallen asleep, already. He let her go and tried to see her face. She was asleep alright. Her eyes were closed and she didn't seem to be aware of her surroundings.

_She's asleep,_ Victor thought, astonished. He couldn't' believe that a person could sleep in this kind of situation. He sighed. _She's different after all. _He smiled when he saw Piper's sleeping face. She looked like a helpless little girl who didn't know how cruel it was in the real world. Carefully, so that she'll not wake up, he lifted her off the ground. He headed towards her room and laid her, gently on the bed. He stared at her intently. He let out a sigh. _I have nothing to do here anymore, so I might as well head back now. _

Victor turned around and was about to head out of the room, when what he had heard next made him froze in his tracks. He stepped backwards. He looked at Piper. _Did she just call him? _He waited for a while, until he heard it again. She was saying his name, in her sleep. This made him smile. He was beginning to like this night. He stood beside her bed and stared at her. He brushed the hair that was covering her eyes. He was about to go back to his room, when he felt like someone was tugging at the hem of his shirt. He looked down and saw Piper's small hand clutching the hem of his shirt.

_Oh great, _Victor thought. He groaned. He tried removing her hand but she didn't want to let him go. He growled. _Way to go, Victor, _he thought. He stood still and waited for Piper to let go, but to no avail, it seemed like her grasp had became tighter. It will take some time to make her let go of him.

He let out a sigh and tried removing her hand again, but he froze when he heard her whisper his name again. He shook his head. He shouldn't get too soft now. "Will you stop saying my name?" he hissed. He didn't like her to wake.

At last, Piper had finally let go of him. He let out a sigh of relief. _Glad that one was over,_ he thought. He straightened up and went out of the room. _Next time, I better not enter her room whenever she is asleep, _he thought. He took one last look at Piper's sleeping form on the bed and he left.

The next day, Piper woke up with a fuzzy head. She got up from her bed and went to the kitchen. It was still early so nobody must be awake. _Maybe I'll just wait for them to wake up, _she decided. She took her coat that was hanging on the nail by the door. She went out of the house. She felt like getting some fresh air. She didn't know why she felt a little woozy today. It's not like she had done something last night. She just had a nightmare, right? And then what happened next….

"I couldn't remember anything about last night," Piper said aloud. She scratched her head. She knew that something had happened last night. It must be important, but how come she couldn't remember it. She shook her head. "Maybe nothing really happened. I just got a nightmare and then, I fell asleep again," she told herself. She smiled. "I think that's what happened last night."

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**Well, what do you think?....sorry if this is boring...I promise to stir things up in the next chapter! Anyway please review!^^**


	17. Part Fifteen: DON'T THINK ABOUT IT

**Hey guys!! Sorry if this chapter took so long....I had been very busy......thanks for those people who still stick to this story...maybe I'll find a way to give you cookies...by the way, I'm trying to minimize my author's note so that you could thoroughly enjoy the story...^^ anyway...please enjoy,,,^_^**

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Part Fifteen: DON'T THINK ABOUT IT

_Red, that was the only thing that he could see. Blood, his hands were covered by blood. Monster, that was what he was. Kill, that was the only thing in his mind. Scream, that was the only thing that he could hear. Cold, his heart was cold. Darkness, stained with red.  
_

Victor woke up, startled. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead. He was breathing hard. _It was just a dream, _he told himself. He sat up on his bed. He was panting. The dream that he had was unusual. He put his hand over his forehead. He closed his eyes. The thing that he had seen in his dream couldn't register inside his head. What was it about? Was he guilty? Was he regretting of ever doing that. Was he afraid of getting caught by the cops. What would he do if the police learned about what happened that night. What will happen to his little brother and Piper? What would they do if they find out?

So many questions entered Victor's head. He tried to breathe in evenly. He heaved himself off his bed and went outside of his room. He didn't know why he roll out of his bed. The only thing that he wanted was to clear his mind. He felt like his mind was about to explode any moment now if he think anymore. He went downstairs and went out of the house, not bothering the cold air biting his skin. The temperature had dropped lower last night. He wasn't even wearing his coat or anything, but he didn't mind. The temperature wouldn't hurt him. It was just cold after all.

Victor inhaled deeply, letting the icy air fill his lungs. He now felt a little better. He was not fretting anymore. He looked around. It was still dark outside, nothing unusual about that since it was still midnight or so. He let out a sigh. This was better. For once, the cold had helped him forget about his problems.

When some minutes had already passed Victor decided that it was time for him to get back inside the house. He gave one last look around before getting inside the house.

**The Next day....**

Victor was in a sour mood. He didn't get enough sleep last night. He was bothered by the disturbing dream that he kept on having. Whenever he closed his eyes, he could see blood stained on the green grass. The pale faces of other people that were running away from him. It was liked he was an animal inside a cage which was used for entertaining other people.

"Good morning Victor," Piper said as soon as she saw him sitting on the couch, with a glare on his face. She knew that he was not having a good day.

Victor ignored her. He just continued glaring at nothing in particular.

Piper raised an eyebrow. _What's with him? _She turned on her heels and ignored him. She went inside the kitchen to prepare their breakfast.

Victor's expression soften. He knew that Piper would be worried if he continued to act like this. He stood up instantly. "I'm going out!" he informed, loudly so that Piper would hear him. _Who am I kidding. She could still hear my thoughts, _he told himself. He smirked. Even if he couldn't see Piper, he was sure that she would be smiling right now. He went out of the house just in time to see Logan heading towards the house.

"Where are you going?" Logan asked.

Victor shrugged. "No where."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

Victor ignored his little brother and made his way pass him.

Logan stopped him. "Last night, why were you late?"

"The weather had made the travel back home harder for me." Victor responded, wearily. How many times did he have to tell Logan that lame excuse?

"Victor, for years that we have been together, you wouldn't be late just because of the cold," Logan said.

"Jimmy, how many times did I tell you, it's just the cold," Victor said, sarcastically.

The two brothers held eye contact for a while. Logan didn't believe what Victor had said. Victor on the other hand sounded convincing. Piper instantly accepted his excuse and had forgotten about it. He thought that Piper would be the hardest one to convince but he was mistaken.

Logan finally looked away. Without saying another, he left Victor. He headed inside the house, without looking back at his brother. Something was building up inside him. Was it rage? Anger? Or was it worry? Whatever it was, it made him leave his brother outside without further discussions. He knew that his brother had a hard head so it was no used in convincing him to tell him what really happened. Victor was not the type of man who would give in to other people's demands.

Victor stared at his little brother as he left him. _Good, now he'll give up, _he thought. He turned around and headed to town. Even if he was not wearing a coat or thick clothes, he still felt like going out to town. Maybe it would help him clear his mind. Without thinking further, he started walking.

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Piper had heard the conversation of Logan and Victor. This made her worry. _This looks bad, _she thought. She knew the two brothers _very_ well. Since they were young, Piper knew that Victor really cared about his little brother. He would do everything just to make sure that his brother was safe. The same with Logan. He wanted his older brother to be safe too. The two siblings loved each other dearly. Piper had seldom seen them fought. She knew that they wouldn't stand it. They usually make up after letting out some steam.

"Where is he going?" Piper asked Logan as soon as he entered the house.

Logan shrugged. He was clearly annoyed. Talking about his brother would even make him more irritated. "I don't care where he goes. It would have been better if he'll never come back," he spat.

Piper knew that Logan didn't mean it. She could read his mind. He was just concerned. He was just saying that because he's frustrated, nothing else. She smirked. "Well, I feel sorry for you because I know he'll always come back. You're his brother after all."

What Piper said made Logan looked at her. He smiled. "Yeah, we'll I wish--"

"Don't say that you wish he's not your brother. I know you're lying then," Piper said.

Logan shrugged, casually. "How do you know?" The tone on his voice sounded like he was challenging Piper.

"Your mind," she answered, pointing at his head. "Remember?"

Logan chuckled. Same old Piper. She sounded like a know-it-all brat, but still, she was someone that you'll enjoy being with. The two of them fell silent. Their own thoughts were making them too preoccupied to talk to each other.

Piper was thinking about the current relationship of the two siblings, while Logan was thinking of what Victor was hiding from him.

"You know, I think we better have a vacation," Piper said, out of the blue.

It made Logan snapped out of his thoughts. "Why? It's not wise to have a vacation in this kind of season, you know," he said.

Piper smirked. "Well, it never hurt to do something new, right? And beside, there's nothing exciting happening in here anymore. What do you say if we go back to the old house in the forest? Everyday is an adventure there and I know that Victor would like that."

Logan was hesitant. The house in the forest was a dangerous place during this time of the year since there will still be some things that were lurking around it. He didn't like the thought of having bears surrounding them during nighttime. "I don't know," he said, sounding unsure. He knew that Victor would not agree with that idea. His older brother would always think about their safety first.

Piper pouted. "Please. Just for two or three days. I'm bored in here," she pleaded.

Logan couldn't resist Piper. He tried looking away from her, but he knew that she'll never give up. He had no choice but to give in to her demand. "Fine, but you ask Victor. I don't want to talk to him right now."

Piper's face lit up. She giggled. "Oh really? I know you cannot resist your brother too." She smiled slyly.

Logan chuckled. "How sure are you?" he asked, mockingly.

Piper scoffed. "Believe me, I'm surer than you." The smile on her face widened when Logan gave her a puzzled look.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Victor kicked the stone that was blocking his way. The small pebble rolled off his way. He snorted. _Pathetic, _he thought. He remembered the fight that broke out last night. _They're just as weak as the small stone, _he thought. He chuckled. If anyone sees him like that, they would think that he was out of his mind.

The people around the town stared at the strange man walking and staring at the ground. Everyone gave him suspicious glances whenever they passed by him. They didn't like the animal-like features of this man. Some children couldn't help but stare at him whenever he towered over them.

_I hate kids. _Victor passed by a group of children who were running around. One little boy bumped on him. Victor smirked when the tiny kid looked up at him with wide eyes. The kid's face didn't show if he was afraid or awestruck by this huge man in front of him.

"What are you still doing there, kiddo? Why don't you just play with your little buddies?" Victor sneered.

The boy stared at him. Even when he started going away, he did not take off his gaze to Victor. It seemed like he was drawn by his appearance.

Victor laughed inside his head. The little kid seemed to be clueless that he had just faced an animal, a monster and a killer. Victor's face returned to dead serious. He had been thinking. What if his little 'playmates' last night had gone to the police to inform about his deeds? Would he be caught? _Those cowards wouldn't even have to guts to face me again,_he thought. He shouldn't be too confident. There was a huge possibility that the cops would be looking for him right now. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. _Don't think about it. _He continued walking, ignoring the penetrating stares that the people around him gave him. He was surrounded with a mysterious aura. Everyone checked him out, trying to get a good look at his face. His presence was unusual, but it seemed like the people were drawn into it. Some girls find it very attractive.

Victor took a glance behind him. He thought that he had just seen someone watching him. _Might have been my imagination. _He shrugged. He continued walking. The people around him seemed to get tired of observing him since they started moving away, though there were still some who wouldn't tore off their eyes off him. They were attracted to him without any reasons at all. Maybe because of his charms. Or maybe because of the mysterious aura that was radiating from him. It made them curious. How could a man like him hold such immensely dark and tensed atmosphere?

"Watch where you're going, son," a dark skinned man said when Victor accidentally bumped on him.

Victor threw the man a death glare. You wouldn't want to mess with this guy. The dark skinned man seemed to recoil. He looked away from Victor and started to walk faster, hoping to get away from the stranger. He was afraid that Victor might do something to him that would make him regret of even going out of his house.

Victor ignored the man and continued walking. He wanted to clear his head. Thoughts kept on swimming inside his head. He was getting tired of it. He had the guilty feeling at the pit of his stomach. It seemed like his conscience was telling him that what he had done the night before was not good. _I had already killed hundreds of men in the war so how come I'm having this feeling? _During the war, he didn't feel regret nor remorse when he killed his enemies in the battlefield.

Victor shook his head, clearing his mind again. He reminded himself the purpose to why he went to town. _I'm here to find peace and not to think, _he told himself. He sighed. It was hard to forget the deeds that you had done whether it was good or bad. He wandered around the town. He didn't worry about getting lost. He was an adult now. It would look stupid if he gets lost. Now that he had his mind cleared, he thought about Logan. _Why couldn't he just trust me when I said that I was late since the weather had made it hard to get back home? _He gritted his teeth. He didn't know if he should get mad at his little brother. He knew that Logan was just concerned about him. There was nothing wrong with that. He was just over-reacting. Maybe his nervous system was just breaking down that's why he had been cranky.

His mind now wondered about Piper. _It's unusual how she didn't scold me last night, _he thought, amused. _She didn't seem to be in doubt when I said my excuse. _That made him wonder. _Could it be a miracle had happened and Jimmy and Piper's personality had changed? _He chuckled as he imagined Piper acting like Logan. He just couldn't picture it in his mind. Piper was too hyper to be like Logan who seemed to be calm in everything he does. _Almost _calm.

"What are you laughing at?"

Victor turned around to see the same gorilla-looking man behind him with a mischievous smile on his face. Victor gritted his teeth. Just when he thought that he would have a nice day today, the devil of a man had just showed up. The man he had been loathing for since last night. The coward bastard. "What are you doing here?" he asked, threateningly. His claws were getting longer. It dug to his skin but he didn't mind.

The giant of a man raised his hands as if he was surrendering. "I'm here to have my amends with you. We have started with the wrong foot here." He took a step towards Victor. "I'm Anthony Butcher, and you must be?" He stretched out his hand to have a friendly handshake. He waited for Victor to say his name.

Victor raised an eyebrow. The man who called himself Anthony stinks of greediness. He didn't like the way the glint of selfishness in the man's eyes. It seemed like the man in front of him right now was not a man to be trusted. "Victor Creed," he said, roughly, ignoring his hand. He pushed the man aside.

Anthony was not going to let Victor off the hook easily. He had his plans perfectly laid out. He wouldn't miss this chance. Victor was the last piece of the puzzle that he had been trying to solve for a long time already. He wouldn't let it be ruined by that simple action. "Well then, Creed, nice to meet you." He quickly caught up with the younger man.

Victor didn't look at him. He gritted his teeth. Whatever this guy wanted from him, he'll never get it. He ignored him.

"So, young lad, since I wanted to apologized to you, I'll buy you a drink," Anthony said, smoothly.

Victor threw him a glare. "What do you want from me? Can't you just leave me alone?" he hissed, facing him already.

Anthony stepped backwards looking slightly taken aback. "I don't want anything from you. I just wanted to be friends with you and nothing else," he said, sounding innocent, but Victor knew too well that he was up to something.

Victor studied him for a while. "If you want to be my friend then make sure that you'll not mention anything about what had happened last night. Tell that to your friends," he snarled. He turned on his heels and went away, heading for home. His going to town was a bad idea.

Anthony watched the young man walked away from him. "O-Okay, I'll tell them that!" he shouted at him, hoping that he would change his mind. When Victor was out of his sight, his calm faced turned into a frustrated expression. _Such a hard man, _he thought. He slumped his shoulders in defeat and went away. _Don't worry, it's just the first try. He'll think about it._

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

The journey back home was uneventful. Victor's head was filled with questions again. _Going to town was a bad idea, _he thought. He shook his head, hoping that the questions inside his mind would go away. _Why did that man have to show up? _He scratched his head, frustrated. Why was it bothering him now? During the war he didn't have to think twice before killing his enemies. How many times did he have to ask the same question to himself?

When Victor reached the house, he was not expecting to see Piper sitting on the front porch. He stood in front of her. "Would you mind moving, 'coz you're blocking the way," he sneered. He showed her his signature smirk.

Piper looked up at him. Without a word, she stood up and gave way to him. She grinned.

Victor raised an eyebrow. He was surprised since Piper didn't say anything. It seemed like she was hiding something from him. He looked at her suspiciously before entering the house.

"I'm not hiding anything," Piper said from behind him. She followed him inside. She had been waiting for him since she was excited to tell him about their vacation.

Victor stared at Piper. Why was she eager?

"Logan had agreed to my plan," Piper said, happily.

Victor gave her a confused look. "What plan?" he asked.

Piper snorted. "Don't worry. I'm not planning anything bad," she assured, reading his thoughts. "We'll just spend a few days in the forest."

Victor stared at her, incredulously. "Why?"

Piper giggled. "Just nothing."

Victor thought about it. It might be a great idea to get away from your troubles. Just you and nature. You'll easily forget your worries. He shrugged. It might be a good idea to have a week off in the forest. "Sure, why not." He smiled.

Piper clapped her hands together. She could squeal like a little girl but she knew that was out of her character. "That's great! When can we go?"

Victor's smile widened. "How about tomorrow?"

Piper frowned. "That's too soon."

"Why? Is there a problem with that?"'''

Piper shook her head. It seemed like he was challenging her. "Fine, tomorrow it is."

"Hm, I think we need to guard you double time since something bad might happen to you in the forest. You'll never know when a bear would chase you around," he sneered.

Piper scoffed. "As if. The bear would be the one who'll get scared and not me."

"Oh really?"

Piper nodded her head, with a confident expression. She looked smug.

"You have such a big head," Victor said, smirking.

"No I don't," Piper protested.

"Yes you have."

"No."

The two of them continued snapping at each other, just like old times. Victor had done that intentionally since he missed the times when the two of them would argue. He felt more comfortable with the old Piper. And anyway, the questions inside his head would stop bothering him if he deals with her nasty temper. Piper has a gift that could make anyone forget about their problems for a while. She was special.

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**So..what do you think? What could this Anthony Butcher wants from Victor? anyway...sorry if this chapter was boring, really.....thanks for reading this one...please review!! ^^**


	18. Part Sixteen: RECOLLECTION

**Hi guys! So that you'll know, I'm still alive and kicking! I am having a lot of trouble in finishing this chapter. I think my chapters are too, lengthy. Anyway, please enjoy! ^_^ (yey! I had managed to put a short author's note! )**

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Part Sixteen: RECOLLECTION

_This is it, we're really going back to the old house, _Piper thought excitedly. She squealed in delight as she thought if seeing the old peaceful cottage surrounded by nothing but the trees and if possible, some wild animals.

"Wait up!" Piper quickened her pace so that she'll avoid being left behind. They had been walking for hours now. She was getting tired. Her feet were already sore. The only thing that kept her going was the thought of seeing the old house, again. There were some changes in the forest, though it was still familiar to Piper.

"Quit idling and move faster," Victor barked. He turned around to see Piper hurrying towards them. He smirked. _So slow. _

_I heard that, _Piper snapped at him. As soon as she reached him, she punched his shoulders. "That's what you get," she said, grumpily.

Logan chuckled from behind Victor. Victor threw Logan a "laugh again and I swear I'll kick your ass" look. His little brother immediately got the message and just shrugged, pretending to be an innocent bystander. Piper stuck out her tongue at him and started walking, leaving him behind. She caught up with Logan who was leading the small group.

"Just ignore him," Logan said, smirking.

Piper grinned at him. "It looked like the two of you are back to normal," she stated.

Logan shook his head. "Yeah, right. Whatever."

"Don't hide it. I know that you already forgave him," Piper said. The two brothers hadn't talked to each other since yesterday.

Logan shook his head. "You don't know what you're saying," he said, with a smile.

Piper laughed. Logan joined her in laughing.

Meanwhile, Victor narrowed his eyes at the two mutants. Was he getting jealous? He shook his head. _No way in hell, _he thought. He will never get jealous at the two of them just because they're laughing. He growled. _Stop thinking about it, or else she might hear you. _He shook his head to clear his mind. He should be very cautious. He won't admit that he's jealous. He snapped out of his thoughts and started moving. He didn't want to get left behind.

The journey towards their old home was long and exhausting. It almost took them the whole day to reach their destination. The sun had settled and night was creeping. The stars were coming out and the moon was visible already. Victor was getting worried. It was not safe to travel during nighttime. Wild animals would come out to hunt, now.

"We better move quickly," Victor told Logan and Piper. "It's not a good idea to travel during evenings. There are a lot of dangerous creatures out at night."

Logan nodded his head in agreement. "We'll walk faster. I think the cottage is already near," he informed. He looked around and whistled. "A lot of things had changed in here that I couldn't almost recognize the way towards that cottage."

"You're right. The trees got taller and the there are a lot more scattered leaves. Plus, the smell had also changed," Piper said.

What Piper had said made Victor stare at her. _It seemed like you remembered this place, vividly, _he said, surprised. He had almost forgotten this place. It had been a long time since he had ever set foot on the forest.

_Of course I do, _she told him, _and I know that you, too, still remember it. _She smirked.

Victor watched her, slightly baffled at what she had just told him. _What do you mean? _

_What I meant was, you, too, still remember this place. You hadn't forgotten it yet. It's still in your mind. The reason why you don't remember is that you're not trying to fish it inside you mind, _Piper explained.

Victor raised an eyebrow. She was right. Now, he could remember it. The sweet scent of the trees and the damp ground during fall. The wind that you breathe in was always fresh. How could he not forget all those things?

Piper smiled as she sense Victor's emotions. He was feeling relax and he was calming down. It seemed like it was a nice idea for them to go back. The burden that he had been carrying a while back had completely gone away from him. It seemed like he had forgotten about it. _That's good, _she thought, happily.

Logan watched Piper as she happily walked beside him. He raised an eyebrow. "Why are you happy?" he asked, doubtfully.

Piper looked at him playfully. "Just nothing. I'm happy to be back in the forest," she said, cheerfully. She was half saying the truth. She was too excited to know what she was feeling.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Victor was getting more and more worried. It was getting darker by the second and they hadn't reached the house yet. He made sure that he was on his guard. He could hear, see and smell everything that was surrounding them. So far, there was nothing unusual. He could smell the usual scent of trees and their own scent. He could hear the soft rustling of the leaves. It was just peaceful and it seemed like there was nothing or no one near them, but still, he got a feeling that someone was following them.

"Just relax," Logan said as he watched his older brother getting tensed. He patted him on the shoulder. "There's nothing to worry about. We had lived in this forest for a long time already and we hadn't encountered any wild animals or something."

Victor relaxed a little. "Yeah, you're right," he responded. He hadn't noticed his nails had grown longer. He let out a sigh and his nails went back to its normal size. "But there is always a first time."

Logan smirked and focused his attention back to the trail. It was harder to see the trail since there was no enough light to see anything.

"We're getting nearer," Piper informed them.

Victor looked at her, doubtfully. "How sure are you?" he asked.

Piper shrugged. "Just my instinct, I guess," she answered. She looked around. Somehow, it felt like she had been walking in this path her whole life. The memories when she passed the trees were still fresh inside her mind.

"Well, that instinct of yours is reliable, since it's correct. We're getting nearer," Logan said, pointing at the outline of the cottage not far from them. It was dark so it was hard to see the cottage clearly.

Piper looked at Victor with a smug face. _I told you so, _she sneered.

Victor crossed his arms and scowled at her. _I have no comment to that, _he said. "Well now, we should better get moving. It's freezing and I think I couldn't feel my feet anymore." He quickened his pace. He was now leading the small group instead of Logan.

Logan stared at his brother and then to Piper. Somehow, he got a feeling that Piper had said something to his older brother which made him quite impatient.

Piper shrugged, pretending to be innocent.

Logan chuckled. He shouldn't meddle in their arguments. It will be a bad decision if he tried to get in their fights. He wouldn't dare do such things. If he stumbled on their 'conversation' it will be like hell.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Don't exaggerate things. We're not that violent. And by the way, we don't fight. We're not even close to shouting. We handle situations differently," she said, defensively.

"Oh really. The only time the two of you didn't fight is when one of you didn't talk to each other," he sneered.

"Stop it, will you? I got enough of those things," Piper said, with a grin. She knew that Logan was just kidding her. "We better move faster, or else Victor might leave us behind." She started to walk faster trying to catch up with Victor. She halted when a stab of pain hit her head. She clutched it and closed her eyes. What was that for? Thoughts came filling inside her head. Too many thoughts that she couldn't understand them and she couldn't fine her own thoughts.

That made her think. Why would she hear so many thoughts? Were there other people in the forest aside from them? Or maybe she was hearing the thoughts of others from town. But that was impossible. She wasn't strong enough to hear the thoughts of other people who were far from her.

Logan looked at her, concerned. "Are you alright, Piper?" he asked. He didn't like the way she looked. It seemed like her mind was about to explode anytime and he didn't like that. He took a step closer to her so that he could support her, but she stopped him.

"I'm alright," she assured. "It's just that I have a lot of things in my mind." She put her hands back to her sides and ignored the throbbing pain inside her head.

Logan laid his hand on her shoulder. He wanted to make sure that she was really alright before letting her walk by her own. "Of course you'll have a lot of things in your mind since you could read our minds, plus, you'll have to think, too."

Piper smiled, faintly. He had a point. She shook her head which made her headache worse. "No, really. I'm just fine," she pressed. She tried to remove his hands off her shoulder, but he didn't want to let her go. "Um, you could let me go now," she said, indicating to his hands.

Logan hesitated, but he let her go. He continued walking. They had been talking that he didn't notice that they had stopped following Victor. "Are you sure you're alright? You know, I could always carry you if you cannot walk anymore," he said, smirking.

Piper laughed. "I will never let you carry me."

Logan was about to say something, when Victor appeared. He looked angry. Whatever it was that pissed him off, Logan didn't like the way he glared at them. It seemed like he had caught the two of them doing something that they shouldn't be doing.

"What's with that expression?" Logan asked him.

Victor ignored his question and turned on his heels. This time, he was really jealous. He didn't know what to say or think. Why would he be angry at that? Logan was just worried about Piper. Nothing wrong about that. It was normal for people to be concerned of other people's health. Victor tried hiding his envy, but Piper was not fast. She instantly sensed his jealousy. She tried catching up with Victor.

"Hey," she exclaimed, trying to catch his attention. When she caught up with him, he started to quicken his pace. He was avoiding her. She glared, silently at him. _He's acting like a girl, _she thought. She didn't give up. She started jogging to catch up with him. _"_Could you wait for me," she told him, crossly.

Victor complete ignored her. He continued walking fast, making sure that Piper wouldn't catch up with him. He glanced at Piper, checking if she was already giving up. To his dismay, her stubbornness had made her keep up with him.

"What's wrong with you?" Piper asked, angrily. She was getting irked at how Victor acted. He looked like a spoiled child who didn't get what he wanted.

Victor stopped in his tracks. He bit his tongue. He didn't want to think about it and most especially, talk about it. He clenched his fist. "It's nothing," he snapped. He threw Piper a dirty look. "Stop trying to get in my mind. My thoughts are not yours so don't try reading it. It's not like a book that one could always open and read." His voice sounded bitter and when Piper heard it, she felt hurt. It was the first time that she had heard Victor used that kind of voice to her. She stared at Victor, blankly. _If that's what he wants, then fine, have it his way, _she thought. She looked at her feet and started walking. The cottage was not that far anymore. She could see it clearly, now. A few more steps and they would be standing in front of the door.

Logan watched the two. _They're fighting again, _he thought, dryly. Nothing new about that. He smirked. _Just like what I had said, not a day would pass without them arguing, _he told himself.

As the group settled in the small cozy house, Piper had decided to prepare dinner. She glared at Victor before she could even go to the kitchen corner. She was mad at him. She was thinking of some stupid name for Victor. _He's stupid, a moron, and an idiot. He also has a brain the size of a peanut,_ she thought, angrily while cooking.

Victor and Logan were seated on the sofa in front of the fireplace. There was a fire burning already since it was so cold. They didn't even bother to remove their coats since it was still cold inside. The two brothers didn't utter a word to each other. They didn't know what to talk about. Plus, Victor was in a foul mood. Logan would be wise enough to let him have his own personal space. They watched the fire danced in front of them.

Time seemed to pass quickly. Without noticing it, dinner was ready. Victor and Logan took their seats around the table. They were quite surprised when they saw what Piper had cooked for them. It was steak bathed with creamy gravy. There were no side dishes. There was just a simple steak with gravy on the plate and a glass of milk. They looked at Piper with baffled expressions.

Piper smiled innocently. The heavy atmosphere inside the house seemed to leave. "I just remembered the night that I first met you guys. That was the most memorable night that I had so I want you all to remember that one too," she said, quite awkwardly. She wasn't that comfortable in saying what she really feels, but tonight, she wanted them to have fun. Forget about the worries that they had. She wanted them to enjoy every moment of their stay in the forest. Also, she wanted to make amends with Victor since they had another 'misunderstanding,' again.

Victor looked down. That night was the best memory he had. He always treasured it. It was the night where he learned that he had a brother. That was the night where he met the most important person in his life. That was the night where he found his life and future.

Piper picked her spoon and fork and beamed at the two siblings. "Well then, dig in!" she said, cheerfully.

Victor snapped out of his thoughts. He looked up at Piper. He smirked. It seemed like everything that had happened that night was happening again, though this time, this was better. He picked up his spoon and fork and started eating.

Logan let out a low chuckle. Whenever he recalled that event, he couldn't help but wonder, what would happen to them if they hadn't met each other. He watched the two as they ate their meal. He smiled and started eating, too.

The house was filled with a cheerful atmosphere. The three chatted and laughed a lot. They reminisce all of the things that had happened in the past. They seemed to forget about the time. In fact, they didn't care about it. Just recollecting the memories that each of them shared made them feel at home. They had forgotten about the uneasy feeling of someone following them.

Victor leaned back on his chair after finishing his meal. He let out a satisfied sigh. "It seemed like I hadn't eaten anything for a long time," he said, patting his stomach. Nothing could satisfy his appetite but Piper's cooking.

Piper grinned at him. "Thanks for the compliment, Vic."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Ah, so you're calling him Vic now," he snorted, making it clear that he was jealous.

Piper giggled. "Yeah, but don't worry. From now on I'll be calling you, Jimmy-boy." She smirked.

Victor laughed at his little brother's expression. "Jimmy has a new nickname," he taunted.

Logan shot Victor a look. "Shut up, Vicky," he snapped, making his voice louder when he said the name Vicky.

The two brothers stood up, abruptly. Victor got hold of Logan's collar and pulled him closer to him. They were almost nose to nose. They snarled at each other.

Piper knew what was going to happen next if she didn't make a move. She stepped between Logan and Victor. She pushed them away from each other. "Stop it, will you. The two of you are acting like a child," she said, sternly.

The two brothers looked at Piper. They laughed. This made her puzzled. "Why are you laughing?" she demanded.

Logan tried to calm himself down, but he couldn't help it. "We were just kidding you," he said, in between laughter.

Piper raised an eyebrow. It was unusual to see the two brothers laughing this hard. She glared at them. "So you mean the two of you are laughing at me?"

Victor nodded his head, trying to restrain himself from burst out laughing, again. "You should have seen the look on your face. It was priceless," he sneered. He patted her head.

If Piper was a dog, she would definitely have bitten Victor's hand when he patted her head. How she hated it whenever he acted like she's a kid.

The two brothers were having a good time in teasing Piper. Logan and Victor took turns in taunting her. Piper was getting annoyed by their taunting. "Stop it!" she cried. She turned on her heels, ignoring the two brothers behind her. _Two grown men, acting like two spoiled kids, _she thought, irked. She fixed the table and started doing the dishes, trying hard not to listen to the mocking of Logan and Victor.

Logan froze. "Sh, wait a minute. I think I heard something," he informed. He went towards the window and looked outside. He thought he heard someone approaching the house. He looked at his older brother who now held a wary look on his face. He heard it too. Piper stopped washing the dishes. She wiped her hand on a dry towel lying beside the sink. She could hear somebody else thoughts. She was about to go for the door, but Victor blocked her way.

"During this kind of situations, it is not wise for someone like you to go out. Leave it to us," he said.

Piper was about to protest, when she noticed how serious Victor looked. She nodded her head in defeat. She didn't want to stay in the sidelines.

Victor looked at Logan. "I'll check it out. You stay here with Piper," he ordered, heading towards the door.

Logan nodded his head in agreement.

Victor went out of the house. _Be careful,_ Piper told him. He smirked. She should have known better that he could handle things like this. _Don't worry. I'll be cautious even if you don't tell me that, _he responded, smugly. The cold air bit his skin as he checked the area. Sure enough, someone had been surrounding their house. He could smell metallic sweat and that means, their intruder, or should I say, intruders were afraid.

_That's good, _Victor thought._ They really should be afraid. _He went around the house to check if someone had been in there. He examined the damp ground. There were fresh foot prints. Judging by the size of the foot prints, the man was huge. _Butcher. _

Victor turned around when he heard something crack behind him. He saw no one. His eyes darted all over the place, checking if someone was hiding. So far, he didn't see anyone, but he could smell them. _It seemed like there are two or three guys in here, _he thought.

_Is that bad? _a small voice inside his head asked.

Victor smirked. _Don't be scared, Piper. I could handle it, _he thought smugly. He spent another 30 minutes, checking the place before getting back inside the house. Logan was sitting on the sofa, beside Piper.

"Have you seen anything?" Logan asked, standing up.

Victor shook his head. "So far, I only saw some fresh prints and their scent," he informed. He plopped down on the sofa.

Piper stared at him. During this kind of situations, she should have been scared, but right now, she still felt safe. _Maybe because I have someone who I know would protect me, _she thought. She leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes. She wanted to find out who were following them, so she'll try tracking them down with their minds...if they have a mind.

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**Well, what do you think? Sorry if this one is boring....Please review! ^^**


	19. Part Seventeen: TRUST ME

**Yeah, I know. It's been a long time since I had last updated. A lot of things had happened. Heck! I could even make a novel out of it. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter! (Sorry if this chapter is kinda long. I got carried away.) ^_^

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**Part Seventeen: TRUST ME

Piper didn't notice that she had fallen asleep. She shook her head so that the sleepiness would go away. She looked around the house. Logan was nowhere to be seen. Victor was sitting beside her. He didn't show signs of sleepiness. He was on his guard.

"Where's Jimmy?" Piper asked, rubbing her eyes.

Victor turned to look at her. "He's outside. He's checking if they really went away," he responded.

"Oh." Piper stood up. She staggered. Her head felt heavy. She had been trying to track down the men who were following them, but she had fallen asleep in the process. She wasn't used to tracking down people by their minds. Especially if they were far from her.

Victor instantly got up and prevented her from falling down. He let her leaned on him as she lost her balance. "You alright?" he asked, concerned. He looked at her, intently. He knew that she would say she was fine but in reality she wasn't.

Piper nodded her head. "Kind of," she answered him. She pulled away from him and tried supporting herself. She didn't want to look weak in front of Victor. She moved towards the window. It was still dark outside. She turned to look at Victor. "How long have I been asleep?"

"You didn't sleep that long. Maybe you slept for two hours or so," he said. He stood beside her and looked out the window. He spotted Logan coming out of the trees. He looked dirty. Leaves clung to his clothes and hair. There were some dirt on his face and his clothes. It seemed like he had been running. Victor could smell sweat and it was coming from his little brother.

"He didn't see any signs of them," Piper whispered. She looked down at her feet.

Victor looked at her. He smiled and patted her head, comfortingly. "Don't worry. They'll not ruin our vacation here," he said, reassuringly.

Piper looked at him. The smile on his face made her feel relieved. She believed him. "You promise?" she asked.

Victor nodded his head. He raised his right hand, and then put his left hand to his chest. "Yeah, I promise."

Piper giggled. "I'll count on that," she said."

Logan entered the house, without knocking. It was their house after all so he didn't bother knocking. He looked at Victor and Piper, gravely. "It seemed like they have left. I can't track them down. Maybe they could cover up their scent and tracks, making it hard for me to follow them," he informed. He lied down on the sofa and closed his eyes. He wanted to take a rest. "It's so cold outside."

Piper went towards the bed and took the blanket. She stood over Logan and covered him with the blanket.

Logan stared at her.

"So that you'll not catch cold," Piper said, grinning at him. "Take a rest. You had been running around the forest for a few hours now, right?"

Logan nodded his head. "I never knew that the forest was this wide before," he said.

Piper smirked. "You're just getting old."

Logan chuckled. "Whatever you say," he said. He closed his eyes and tried falling asleep. Knowing that some people might be following you, it was hard to fall asleep.

Piper went away, so that she could not disturb Logan. He deserved to get some rest. He had been running around the forest trying to track down the people who were following them. If they were even following them. They might be some innocent travelers, camping in the forest. Piper shook her head. _They're not travelers, _she thought. She had somehow got some information from trying to reach their minds.

Victor sat down on one of the chairs around the table. He put his feet on the table and leaned back on the chair. "Who do you think would follow us here?" he asked Piper.

Piper shrugged. "I have no idea." She looked at Victor. "Unless, you know some people who have a grudge on you," she added. When she was trying to read their minds, she learned that whoever were following them, they were looking for Victor.

"Are you suspecting me?" Victor asked, as he felt her suspicion.

Piper observed him. He was blocking his mind, as always. He sounded like he didn't do anything, but something was off. She looked straight in his eyes. He was hiding something from her. He may sound truthful, but by the look on his eyes, there was a hint that he's hiding something. She tore her gaze off him. "Are you sure that you don't know anyone who has a grudge on you?"

Victor bit his tongue so that he'll not snap at her. She was close to discovering his secret but he'll not let her get closer to it. He shook his head. "Don't you trust me?"

Piper opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.

Victor's heart sunk. She was doubting him. After all this years, she still hadn't trusted him, fully. That made him angry. He gritted his teeth. "You don't trust me?" he asked, stiffly. He put down his feet off the table and put it back on the ground.

"I trust you. I trust you with my life," Piper answered firmly. She didn't know what had hit her when he asked the question. Why didn't she reply to him quickly? Did she doubt him?

Victor stood up and went towards Piper. He didn't remove his gaze at her. He held her in place by his eyes. Piper seemed to be frozen on her spot as she continued staring straight to his dark eyes. His eyes were so captivating. She just couldn't take her eyes off of it. As he got closer and closer to her, the more she felt like she was being drawn into it.

Victor halted in front of her. They were almost nose to nose. He looked down at Piper. "So, will you believe me even if people start spreading bad rumors about me and everyone hates me?" he asked. He waited for her to answer. He wanted to know the truth.

Piper didn't notice that she had been holding her breath as Victor was getting nearer to him. She stared back at his dark eyes. It seemed like his eyes had no bottom. His eyes were absorbing her. It was making it hard for her to look away from him.

Victor's gaze softened as he noticed the look on Piper. He reached out to touch her cheeks by the back of his hand. He just got the sudden impulse to touch her. He wanted to feel that she was near him. He brushed back the hair that was covering her eyes.

Piper's heart started to pound against her ribs. She didn't know what to do. She stood still. She could feel the warmth of Victor's hand. Surprisingly, she found it quite comfortable. She remained silent. She wanted to tell him that she'll still believe him, but his eyes made it hard for her to say it. She just couldn't find the right word.

Victor put down his hand. He let out a sigh. "I think I shouldn't have asked you that question," he said, sadly.

"It's fine. There's nothing wrong in asking that question," Piper said. She took a deep breath. "Of course I'll believe you."

Victor smiled. He felt relieved. "I'm honored to hear that," he whispered. He felt like the heaviness inside his heart had fled. The anxiety he had felt for the passed few days had left him. He now understand why he had felt this sudden guilt. He was afraid that Piper might turn her back to him. He was afraid that she might hate him for what he had done. But upon hearing what she had answered, he felt assured. Some parts of him wanted to tell her what's troubling him, but some parts of him was still afraid of what her reaction might be. He just kept quiet.

"Piper, would you let me swear to you that I'll always protect you?" he asked.

Piper looked confused. She laughed. "You sounded weird when you asked that one," she said.

"I'm serious," Victor said, giving her a straight face.

Piper instantly shut up. She looked down. "Why do you keep on promising me that?" she asked, looking up again to meet his intent gaze. Their eyes met and there was a certain bond made between them.

"Because you're weak," Victor joked. He chuckled.

Piper punched his shoulder. "I thought this was something serious?"

Victor stopped laughing. "Yeah, okay, I'm serious."

"Aren't you tired of always promising that you'll protect me?"

Victor shook his head. "Even it takes me a million times to tell you that I'll always protect you, I'll never get tired of it."

Piper giggled. "Oh really?"

Victor smirked. "Of course."

The two of them held eye contact for a moment. No one said anything. They were contented with the silence between them. They have nothing to say. All that they wanted to say to each other had already got out, but not exactly all of it.

Victor suddenly tensed. He caught the scent of someone. He looked around. "There's someone near us," he murmured.

Piper stiffened. Victor was right. She could feel the thoughts of someone. "I think I'm getting something," she said, concentrating on reading the thoughts of their intruder.

Victor went towards his little brother who was still asleep. "Wake up, Jimmy," he said, shaking his brother awake.

Logan instantly woke up. "Someone is spying on us," he informed. He had caught an unfamiliar scent as soon as he had woke up. He heaved himself off the couch and took his coat lying on the arm rest of the couch. "I'll go out to pay them a visit," he said, heading towards the door.

"I'm coming with you," Victor volunteered. He followed his brother. Before he reached the door, he turned to look at Piper. "I think it is unfair for you to be left alone in the house," he said. He knew that it was unsafe for her to be alone in the house, especially since there were other people lurking around. He would liked it if he could see Piper's every move.

Piper's face lit up. She beamed at him. Without saying another word, she followed the two men out of the house. As soon as she stepped out of the house, she felt a sudden of dread. She couldn't explain it, but she felt like there was something that was going to happen and it ain't good. She looked at Victor and Logan, nervously. The two of them were busy tracking down their visitor. That made her stomach turn upside down. It was as if she wouldn't like the outcome of what they're doing. She gulped, but she gathered her courage. _Don't think about it Piper. Nothing bad will happen. You're just making it up, _she told herself.

Victor, sensing her dread, looked at her and gave her an encouraging smile. "Getting scared?" he sneered.

Piper threw him a glare. "No I'm not," she lied. She bit her lower lip. She wouldn't want Victor to find out that she was nervous. Her pride wouldn't take it.

Victor let out a chuckle. He held out his hand. "I know you're afraid. You don't have to hide it. Nothing will happen. I'm here," he said.

Piper looked at the hand, hesitantly. She was afraid to take it, but she couldn't resist not touching it. She bowed down her head. "I'm afraid," she murmured. She started walking, leaving Victor behind. They hadn't noticed that they had stopped following Logan, again.

Victor stood there frozen. He was shocked to hear that she was afraid. He knew Piper well and he knew that she wouldn't say anything like that. For a girl like her, she had too much pride. She wouldn't easily admit defeat and by defeat he meant she wouldn't tell what she was truly feeling. She thought that showing her true emotions would mean she had loss. As soon as he recovered from his shock, he ran after Piper. "What did you say? I didn't hear you back there," he said, wanting to hear those two words again.

Piper threw him a death glare. She didn't want to say it again. She stuck out her tongue and ignored him.

"I think that's the bravest thing that I have heard from you," Victor whispered to her. He smirked as soon as he saw the reaction of Piper. He got hold of her hand. "Don't be afraid. Everyone has their own fears."

Piper had stopped walking and stared at the hand that was holding hers. She looked up at Victor. She tried hard not to let her tears go out. She didn't know why she had to cry. There was nothing to cry about. In fact, she should be happy. So why does she was near to tears?

"We wouldn't want to be left behind by Jimmy, right?" Victor said, trying to cheer her up. He seemed to notice that she was near to tears. He squeezed her hands a little, to assure her that everything will be alright. He began walking, dragging her along.

Piper let him drag her. Her feet felt heavy in every step they took. Maybe fear was taking over her entire body. Why was she feeling like there was something bad that was going to happen? Was that a sign? She shook her head. She shouldn't think about it. Fretting over it would only make it worse.

The two of them walked faster, so that they'll catch up with Logan. It seemed like he had been in a hurry. There was no sign of him, except for his scent. Victor followed his scent. They weren't getting near him. _He had been running, _he thought. "Can you, at least, walk faster?" he complained, looking at Piper.

Piper stared at him, blankly, but did what he said. She started carrying her legs.

Victor let out sigh. He looked at Piper with a concern expression on his face. He could feel her hand shaking a bit. It's either because of the cold or because of fear. "Where's the tough girl that I have known?" he joked, trying to keep her mind away from her fears.

Piper forced a laugh. "Funny, Victor," she said, her voice wavering.

Victor smirked. "Let's get moving." He trudged forward, pulling Piper with him.

Piper let go of his hand. "You don't have to drag me along like a doll," she said, pouting slightly.

"If you weren't sulking a while ago, I wouldn't have to drag you like a doll," Victor contrasted.

Piper shot him a venomous look. "I wasn't sulking," she protested.

Victor smirked. He got a feeling that this will turn into a 'small' argument again. "Whatever you say, Pipes."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "What's with the 'Pipes?' Why Pipes?"

Victor shrugged, skeptically. "You're calling me Vic a while ago."

"So?"

"So I'll call you Pipes," Victor said, winking.

"I don't like pet names. It sounded like, I don't know, but I still don't like it," Piper complained.

Victor snickered.

Piper punched him on the shoulders, rather roughly. "Stop snickering, will you? You're getting into my nerves."

"Aw, how sweet. You can't get your mind off me," Victor sneered.

Piper was getting red in the face. She didn't know if she was getting red because of embarrassment or anger. She looked away from him. "Keep dreaming. As if I'll think of you." She didn't want to look at Victor. She knew that she'll see a smirk on his face. That would make her furious. She hated it whenever she sees him look smug.

Victor laughed. He just loved seeing her annoyed. He patted her head, as if she's just a kid. "Calm down, Piper. You don't have to get mad," he said, trying to keep a straight face.

Piper abruptly stopped. She covered her ears as if she could hear something irritating. "STOP IT!!!" she shouted. She fell down to her knees, still covering her ears. Pain was written in her face. Her eyes were shut closed. Her vision was getting blurrier and blurrier as seconds passed. Too many things were entering her minds.

Victor watched Piper, horrified. "What's happening?" he asked, kneeling down in front of her.

Tears of pain began streaming down her face. Memories of someone started flashing inside her mind. She was getting confuse. Which memories were hers? Whose memories were those? What's happening? Nothing like this had ever happened to her. "GET OUT OF MY MIND!'

Victor was baffled. What was she talking about? Could it be that the one they were tracking down was a mutant too? He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what words to use to lessen the pain that she was feeling. He instinctively reached out to hold her head between his two huge hands. He held her head, as if it was breakable and fragile to his touch. "Look at me," he ordered.

Piper struggled to get out of Victor's grasp. She couldn't open her eyes. She was afraid. There was so many things flashing inside her mind that she couldn't distinguish reality to a memory. She didn't know if what she was hearing right now was from her mind or from reality. She couldn't understand what she was really feeling. Too many emotions were flooding inside her.

"Open your eyes," Victor repeated, softly. His hand held her face firmly. He didn't want to let her go. "Please."

Piper was hit by the realization that the voice that she was hearing was Victor's. _It's only Victor, _she told herself, but she couldn't hear what she was thinking. Other thoughts entered her mind. Thoughts that were not hers. She dared to open her eyes, hoping that Victor would be there. To her relief, she found herself staring at Victor's dark eyes. His eyes held concern and worry as he watched her. The pain in her head lessened. The memories that kept on flashing inside her head had gone away. She just realized, the memories that she had seen were the memories that she had gotten out from other people.

Victor felt that Piper was calming down. He let out a sigh of relief. "Are you alright?" he asked, still not wanting to let go of her face. He didn't care if their face were inches apart. The only thing that was inside his mind was her safety.

"Maybe," she replied. Her head was still a little fuzzy after the strange attack. "What was that about?" She tried getting out of Victor's hand, but he held her firmly.

"I should be asking that same question to you," Victor said, giving her a penetrating stare.

Piper was getting uncomfortable with their position. He was too close. "Um, can you let go of me now?" she asked. She tried shaking her head so that Victor would let go of her, but his hands didn't let go of her. She stared at his deep dark eyes. For a moment, she felt like she had seen this happen. She was having a deja vu. Just before they got in their old home, Logan had also done the same thing.

Victor let go of her, slowly, as he realized that they were in an intimate position. Their faces were just inches apart. In this kind of position, people might think that they were actually doing something. He cleared his throat, as if dismissing the thought from his mind. "S-sorry," he muttered. He let go of her and stood up. He stuck out a hand to help Piper get up.

Piper took his help in getting up. Her head still felt a little fuzzy, but she didn't want Victor to worry too much on her. She staggered forward, but Victor was fast enough to catch her. She instantly recoiled from his touch. She didn't know why, but she felt afraid.

Victor noticed how she reacted to his touch so he withdrew his hands back to his sides. "What happened?" he asked, concern lacing to his voice.

"Nothing," Piper answered, hastily. She didn't want Victor to worry about her. She was perfectly fine. She was feeling much better. The weird attack a while ago was nothing. She was just dizzy. Nothing wrong with that, right? She took a step forward, but she hesitated. It seemed like she had forgotten something and she couldn't put a finger on it. She turned to look at Victor. "Why are we here again?" she asked.

Victor gave her a disbelieving stare. "What do you mean? You don't remember?"

Piper nodded, unsure. "Is that bad?" she asked, sounding scared. What was happening to her? How come she was forgetting some other things too, that are very important and yet she hadn't got a clue of what it was?

Victor's eyes widened. "I think what happened a while ago did something to you," he said, gravely. What's wrong with her? Why did that one have to happen?

Silence fell to the duo. They were occupied by their own thoughts. Just then, a gun shot echoed in the dark forest. Piper got a torn expression on her face. "Jimmy," she murmured.

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**Well, I hope you liked it. Sorry if this one sucks. Thanks for reading it. Please REVIEW! ^^**


	20. Part Eighteen: MISSING

**Hey guys! I know that it had been a long time since I had been able to update this story. I was soooooo busy, plus, I got absorbed in playing Final Fantasy 12, but don't worry! I'm back and ready to continue updating this story. I hope that you'll still continue reading this story. It would really motivate me in writing. Since the story is almost ending, I want to inform you all that there'll be a sequel, but the problem is, I'm not sure with the title. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter and keep on supporting this story. ^_^**

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Part Eighteen: MISSING

_This is not happening. _Piper turned around to face the direction to where she heard the gun shot. Horror was written all over her face. _This is definitely not happening, _she told herself. She knew that was a lie. Ignoring the shouts of Victor behind her, she continued pushing her legs to run faster. This shouldn't be happening.

"Piper!" Victor called after her, for the thirteenth time. She was stubborn as always. He was not surprised about that. He was running after her. He tried explaining to her that she was running towards nothing. It was unusual for her to run this fast. She easily get tired anyway, so he knew that she'll eventually slow down. "Piper! Will you please slow down? You have to know something!" he shouted, again, hoping that she would stop.

Piper slowed down as she felt like her lungs were about to explode. She shouldn't be getting tired now. Logan was in danger. She should get there, quick.

Victor caught up with her, easily, as soon as she slowed down. "Have you forgotten what we had told you during the war?" he asked her. The two of them had completely stopped running. He let her rest so that she could catch her breath. He could see that she was already exhausted in the short run that they had. He waited for her reply. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear her answer.

Piper gave him a questioning gaze. "What do you mean? The two of you had sent a lot of letters during the war, which one?" She tried to sound calm, but deep inside she was panicking. It seemed like she had forgotten some of the letters that she had written. She waited for his answer, hiding her fear. What if she did forget something? Wouldn't that be normal, since time does pass quickly and she's getting old anyway.

Victor returned her gaze. "Do you still remember the thing that I mentioned to you in one of the letters?"

Piper nodded slowly. She remembered _some_. "Where are we getting at?" she asked. She was afraid to know if she really did forget something. Her palms were getting sweaty as she waited for Victor's reply.

"Do you remember that Jimmy and I have a healing factor?" Victor's voice was so low that it seemed like he was just talking to himself. "Do you remember that letter?"

Piper stiffened. It seemed like all blood from her face had gone away. "N-no," she stammered. This was worse than she thought. She did forget something. But how come? She looked away from Victor as she saw the expression on his face. "Did that really happen?" she croaked.

Victor nodded his head, gravely. "Are you alright?"

Piper didn't answer his question. She was thinking,deeply. She gazed at Victor. She tried calming the havoc that was forming inside her head. She was in the midst of breaking down. It seemed like she had lost some of her memories since she couldn't remember why they were outside and not inside their house. "One do tend to forget things, you know. Maybe it just slipped from my mind," she said, wishing that what she said was true. It was in the nature of a person to forget some things when they grow older, right?

Victor raised an eyebrow. "Do you remember what had happened when you were fourteen and it was my 17th birthday?" he asked. He wanted to make sure that it was nothing worse.

Piper hesitated to answer his question. She started raking her brain for that particular memory. _What happened during his birthday? _She was getting frustrated. Her mind went blank when she realized that she had forgotten that too.

Victor's eyes widened. He knew it. Something had happened to her. "How about the first letter that we had sent to you?"

Piper looked down at her feet. "Was that about how you tried hiding your abilities to your fellow soldiers?" she asked, hoping that she got the right answer.

"Yeah, that's the one," he replied, slightly relieved. "It seemed like some of your memories are missing, but you still have some of them." He ruffled her hair, as if she was just a child. "I'm relieved," he said. He didn't know what had hit him to say that aloud.

Piper gave him a puzzled look.

Victor realized what he had just said and tried dismissing the subject. "Never mind," he muttered.

"So, Jimmy will be fine?" Piper asked, worried.

Victor nodded his head. It may seemed like he's not concern about his brother's condition but he really was. It was just that he was sure that his little brother would be alright. He trust him. He knew that his brother is not at all weak. And anyway, they had encountered a lot of worse things during that war.

"But--" Piper suddenly stopped. Her look suddenly turned distant.

Victor raised an eyebrow. "But?"

Piper seemed like she didn't hear him. She continued to have that distant look.

This worried Victor. He took her shoulders and shook them. "Are you listening?"

Piper seemed to snapped out of her trance. "There's someone near," she whispered. She stepped closer to Victor, seeking safety. She was afraid. Whoever was out there knows Victor and she didn't like that way he thinks.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx **MEANWHILE **XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Logan gritted his teeth as the searing pain on his shoulders subsided. It seemed like the wound where the bullet had grazed had healed already. _That was fast, _he thought. He was grateful for having a healing factor and he was more grateful to know that it was automatic. He didn't have to concentrate on his wound just so it could heal. It just heals by itself.

More bullets started whizzing past him. He was quick to dodge a few of them, but some were too fast for him to dodge. Another bullet hit him on his other shoulder. _Damn it, _he thought, as he felt another pain. He advanced towards the men who were trembling from head to toe. They were all holding a gun. He remembered what Piper had once said when they were little.

_"A man who hides behind a gun is a coward."_

Logan smirked. Those men were a coward. He popped his bone claws out of his knuckles and he heard the shooters gasped at the sight of his claws. The men were stupid enough to forget that they were supposed to shoot him. They were frozen at the spot, pale and wide-eyed. They just couldn't believe what they had just seen. They weren't even sure if they were hallucinating or not. They didn't know that they were dealing with a mutant.

It seemed like the predators had just realized that they were the prey and their supposed prey was the real predator.

Logan growled. "I'm giving ya'll a chance to run away. At the count of 5, I want all of you gone." He almost chuckled when he saw that they were already scampering away like rats before he even started counting.

When all of them were gone, he looked around. _What's taking them too long? _He let his bone claws to hide from people's sight and sniffed the air, hoping to trace his companion's scent. He followed their scent since they were nearby. He abruptly stopped. He sensed that someone was near him. He couldn't recognized its scent. "Come out, come out where ever you are," he whispered as he withdrew his claws, again. He turned around and scanned the perimeter. A normal person could definitely hide behind the bushes. He took a step forward, then paused, as if he wasn't sure what he will do next. _What's this? _His eyebrows furrowed. Victor's scent and Piper's scent was replaced by a strong odor of blood and sweat. He quickened his pace, this time, not hesitating to make the first move. He slashed through the bushes in front of him. No one was hiding behind it.

_Weird, _he thought. _I knew that there was someone hiding behind it. _He scratched his head as he calculated every possible ways of escaping from his keen senses. If ever that person who was hiding from him had been able to find a way around him, then he, or she, was a lucky person.

**xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

The hair at Victor's back seemed to stand up as he felt someone's else presence. He could smell an unfamiliar scent. "There's someone near us" he informed Piper, his voice was low, so that their visitor wouldn't hear them.

"That's exactly what I had just said, a while ago," Piper said, pouting slightly.

Victor was glad that she wasn't panicking. He smiled, reassuringly, hoping that it would at least tell her that everything will be alright as long as he's with her. "Can you read his mind?"

Piper shrugged. "I'll try." She focused on the tugging feeling of the mind of someone else. She knew that the one who was spying on them was a man. She could sense his fear, nervousness and anger. She could see some glimpses of his past. She could see his face when he was a child. He was too big and his arms were too long and bulky. In fact, he looked like a gorilla. All of the kids around him was pointing and laughing at him. She felt pity and despair as she continued watching that piece of memory that she had found inside her intruder's mind. She didn't know that the sadness that she was feeling was what the boy was feeling during that time.

Suddenly, Piper was pulled to another memory. This time, the boy had turned into a young man. His extended and bulky arms seemed to had been shrunk by the years that passed by, but still, he looked like a gorilla, though this time, a nice looking gorilla. His blond hair was cropped short and he had grown a short beard. He was walking towards a house. He was walking with an air of pride and dignity. The boy that Piper had seen awhile ago seemed to be replaced by a respectable person. His strides were smooth and long. He walked confidently, chest out and his chin held high.

The man knocked on the front door of the house. A beautiful girl with red hair and sparkling blue eyes opened the door. The girl has a good-natured face, rounded by nature. She has a healthy color on her cheeks when she opened the door but the color was drained from her face as soon as her eyes laid on the man in front of her.

"What are you doing here? Get out of my house, my property!" she shouted, slamming the door right on his face.

But the man wasn't letting her go that easily. He stopped the door from closing by a quick gesture of his hands. He smiled, slyly. Piper could feel the dark intentions of the young man. "Too bad, you still owe me something," he purred as he leaned on the red-headed lady.

The girl screamed when he came nearer. "Don't come near me or else I'm going to call the neighbors!" she threatened. She flung her arms at him, but he took hold of her wrist.

"So?"

The girl kept on screaming. Piper didn't want to know what happened next. Fortunately, the scene faded and was replaced by thousand more of his memories. This time, the memories kept on passing like a blur. She couldn't grasp a specific memory. It seemed like it was slipping to her fingers. She didn't like what was happening. She was having a splitting headache. She wanted to get out of his head. She knew what would happen next. It was happening again. She couldn't distinguish her own thoughts from the man's thougths, reality from memory. If she continue to probe his mind, she'll surely lose some of her memories, again.

"Piper, you're Piper. You're definitely not Anthony or whatever the name you said. You are MY Piper." Victor's voice was loud and clear when Piper heard it. It seemed far and distant, and yet, it was still clear as a bell. She tried reaching out for him, but all she could touch was darkness.

"Don't forget who you are." Victor's voice seemed to be fading away.

_NO, don't go_.

Piper reached out for Victor, frantically. She didn't want to be alone.

"Piper, are you okay?"

Piper blinked her eyes, checking if she was in the real world already. There was a figure crouching over her. The light blinded her. She lifted her arms to cover her eyes from the blinding light.

"She's alright." She was sure that it was Logan who was currently speaking.

Piper sat up. She was on a bed. She got used to the light so she could now see them. Victor was standing by the fire, warming himself and Logan was sitting beside the makeshift bed. He looked relieved. "What happened?" she asked. Her throat felt dry and raspy. It was as if she hadn't drunk any water for a long time.

"Someone's messing with OUR mind," Victor said, angrily. Piper could feel the anger radiating from him.

"Someone is making us move in circles," Logan added, handing Piper a glass of water.

Piper took the drink, gratefully. Before she could ask more questions, she gave the glass back to Logan. "What do you mean?"

Victor fist clenched. He was trying hard not to punch the wall. "That bastard, he almost killed you," he shouted. His voice seemed to shook their small sanctuary.

Logan rolled his eyes.

"Victor, why didn't you tell me that you have a friend named Butcher, Anthony Butcher?" Piper asked coldly, as soon as she had gathered some information from Logan's mind. She couldn't get something out from Victor's head since he had successfully shut his mind from her.

Victor ignored what she had said. His rage seemed to block everything from him. He was starting to hate that Butcher's guts to mess with Piper. Why was he so desperate to get him, to the extent of following them? And, how come Butcher had been able to manipulate their mind? Victor had sworn that he'll cut Butcher's head off.

"Victor! Are you even listening to me?" Piper asked, angrily. She jumped out of the bed and stood in front of Victor, with her hands on her hips. He owed her an explanation. Who was Anthony Butcher? Why was he following them? What did he want from them? So many questions were flooding inside Piper's head that she wanted to know the whole story. "What does he wants from us?" Piper rephrased her question. She was getting angrier and angrier by the seconds that passed by.

"I'm going out," Victor said, suddenly, turning his back from Piper. He snatched his coat that was hanging by the door and put it on.

"Where are you going? Answer my question first," Piper said, stepping forward as Victor was about to head to the door. "You'll not get out of that door, unless you give my an explanation."

Logan stood up from where he was sitting. This didn't look good. He was ready to prevent the two from fighting. He looked warily at Victor and Piper. The two deadly people that he knew since they were young. This wasn't the time to have an argument.

This was the moment that Victor wished will never come. He couldn't tell Piper the truth. He was afraid of what she might think of him. She might get disgusted by him or even scared. He knew that that would break his heart. "Do you trust me?" he asked.

"How can I trust you if you can't even trust me with your explanation?" Piper shouted, blood started rushing towards her face.

Logan seemed to agree with what Piper had said. "You're not alone with this problem, Victor. This isn't your problem, anymore. This is OUR problem from now on." He crossed his arms as he waited for the reaction of his brother. He knew that Victor's stubbornness would strike.

Victor bared his teeth at Logan. "This is MY problem, Jimmy. Don't butt in to other people's business." He shoved Piper out of the way. He didn't mean to be harsh, but this was the only way to protect what he has. He didn't want them to be involved in his problems. They were too precious to lose.

Piper had loss her balance and hit the floor. It didn't hurt much, physically, but emotionally, she was really hurt. She didn't know that Victor would do such a thing. After all that they had been through, she thought that they would trust each other with the truth.

Logan didn't like what his brother had done to Piper. NO one messes with _his _Piper. _That's it. He had pulled the last straw. _He tackled his brother, his left shoulder hitting his brother's stomach, knocking them from their feet. He pinned Victor to the ground. He took hold of the collar of Victor's shirt and pulled his face near his. "I don't care if you're my older brother, but if you do that again to Piper, I'll surely going to kill you. She's never in our way, ever," he said, through gritted teeth.

Victor pushed his little brother off him. "I didn't say that she's on my way. She was never in my way. In fact, she's my way. I'm just doing this because this is the only way so that I may not---" He left his sentence unfinished. He stood up and went out of the little cottage. _I hope they'll understand. This is the only way so that I'll not be able to lose them. They're too, important to lose, _he thought, grimly. He needed to finish what Anthony Butcher had started. He didn't want Logan and Piper to be burdened by his own mistakes. He had caused all of this, so he had to clean the mess that he had made.

Logan watched, helplessly, as his older brother left the house. The feeling of defeat entered his mind. He felt that he had done something wrong. Why did his brother do something like that? Why couldn't Victor see that he was not alone? He didn't notice that Piper was behind him, already. Her hand was laid, lightly, on his shoulder.

"He thinks that this is the only way to protect us," she said, softly. She looked up at him. Her huge, round eyes met Logan's dark eyes. She smiled. "Let's show him that he's not alone."

Somehow, Victor hadn't noticed that he had let his guard down and Piper had been able to read his mind.

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**So....What do you think? Please review and tell me what you think about the making of the sequel of this story. ^^**


	21. Part Nineteen: IF ONLY

**Yesh! I had successfully updated this story as soon as possible. Since I wasn't that busy this weekend, I had been able to do this chapter. Yey! By the way, I want to thank cylobaby and LadyPeneloSolidor, who had reviewed in the previous chapter and the other readers who had enjoyed this story. I would very much be grateful if you voice out what you think about this story so that I may be able to improve it in the sequel, plus, please tell me what scenes that you had liked best in the story so that I may be able to put it at the last part of the story. I have a plan. _ Anyway, please enjoy! ^_^**

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**Part Nineteen: IF ONLY....**

Victor didn't know where he was going. He didn't even have a plan on how to defeat Anthony Butcher. He hadn't even got the clue to where he could find his enemy. It was only his instinct who had led him to hunt Anthony down. He was blinded by rage and fury that he didn't even think. Though, he always acts recklessly, without giving much thought to the outcome of his actions. He believes that if you think before you act, you will only lose some time and time, for him, was very precious. He felt like he might run out of time. From what? He didn't know.

He followed his keen sense of smell in finding Butcher's camp. He was positively sure that he'll be camping near them so that Butcher would be able to see their every move. Just like the times during the war. They always have to watch their enemies, so that they'll be able to get ready and prepared.

"_I know where he's located._" A voice echoed inside Victor's mind. He groaned when he realized who was inside his mind. It was Piper.

_What are you doing inside my head? _he asked, angrily. He tried focusing his mind on his work and ignore her voice, which was quite impossible.

_We want to prove to you that you're not alone, _Piper replied. Victor knew that she was smiling when she said that. He knew her too well. If a voice can smile, then her voice would be smiling right now.

_I told you, mind your own business. _

He could just imagine Piper standing in front of him. She would be rolling her eyes if she heard him answer her like that. He chuckled when he seemed to see her gentle, soft eyes and her genuine smile. It may sound so cliche, but, her smile really brightens up his day.

_I'm still inside your mind, _Piper reminded him, slightly embarrassed.

Victor coughed. _Yeah, um, well, Just get out of my mind, please. My mind is not a book that you can just read._

Piper cackled, but soon lost contact with Victor since he had shut her out of his mind. She sighed and turned to Logan, who was waiting patiently beside her to hear her report. "I think he's near us," she informed. She grinned.

Logan grinned back. "That's good to know. Now, where was he heading to? North? South? East? West? Where?"

Piper thought about it. "I think he went that way." She pointed to her East. They were standing in front of their house and was attempting to stalk Victor, but he was smart enough to cover his tracks, making it hard for Logan to hunt him down. Victor was good in covering his scent and his footsteps. It was such a shame that he didn't teach Logan how to take the cover off.

Logan smirked. "He can hide his tracks from us, but he shouldn't underestimate a mind reader," he said.

Piper laughed. "Well then, let's go that way." She started marching to the direction where Victor had headed.

Logan followed her. "Hey, I have a question to ask."

"What is it?"

Logan seemed to hesitate to say his question, but he really was desperate to know her answer.

Piper raised an eyebrow as she felt his uncomfortable feeling. She was trying to read his mind. She knew that he was looking for the right words for his question, so she waited, patiently, as they continued to walk.

The two of them were silent for awhile as Logan continued to search for the right words to use. The silence lasted for a few minutes, when it was broken by Logan.

"Are you hiding something from us?" he asked, hoping that she wouldn't get insulted by that question. He didn't know why, but he felt like, that question was too personal since everyone knows that everyone does have a secret. Secrets that should be better hidden than known by others.

Piper's gaze fell down to the ground. "Why ask that question?"

"S-sorry. I shouldn't have asked that question. It's just that, ah, you know, um..."

"It's alright," Piper said, looking back at Logan. "You don't have to explain anything and your question doesn't bother me. It's just that, I didn't expect that you'll ask that question."

Logan sighed, relieved that he didn't hurt her feelings. "It's okay if you don't want to answer that question. It's just stupid anyway. And I wouldn't care if you do keep a secret. Everyone needs to have a secret, right?"

Piper chuckled. "I don't think that everyone really does need a secret. It's their choice if they want to keep one or not," she interjected. "And by the way, you question is not nonsense." She smiled. "Yes, I'm hiding something from the two of you and I'm not planning to tell you what's that one is." She had a mischievous look on her face when she said the last sentence.

Logan ruffled her hair, just like what Victor had done. "Yeah right. I know that you wouldn't keep a secret hidden for long. With that big mouth of yours, I know that we'll know it sooner or later," he sneered. Pinching her two cheeks.

Piper swatted his hands off her face. "That hurts. Who told you that you can do that?"

"Victor does that, so why can't I?"

Piper's smile, faded, when she heard what Logan had said. It seemed like when he mentioned Victor's name, her chest had gotten tighter. Logan seemed to noticed this so he faked a cough. Obviously, he was a little and slightly jealous.

Piper snapped out of her thoughts and tried dismissing the subject. She didn't want Logan to feel uncomfortable. The two of them fell silent again. They were occupied by their own thoughts. They obviously weren't in a hurry to catch up with Victor. They don't know why, but they just felt nothing was going to happen to him.

Logan suddenly whistled a tune from a song that he had heard from a young man during the war. He didn't know the lyrics of the song since the man just hum it whenever they were preparing to fight their enemies. The song was kinda relaxing since the melody was just soft and slow. When Logan heard it for the first time, he thought that it was a lullaby, but then, the song gets stronger at the end.

Piper was puzzled by the song that Logan was whistling. It sounded familiar. It was liked, she had heard that song before. She even felt that she had sung that song before. It was like, there was a certain bond between her and the song. "That song," she muttered, under her breath. _It sounds familiar. _

Logan didn't seem to hear her, since he continued whistling. He even whistled louder. The song got stuck inside his mind and he didn't know why he just remembered it. He knew that he had tucked at the corner of his mind, everything that he had learned from the war.

Piper listened carefully to the song. She still couldn't lay a finger to where she had heard that song. She was sure that she had heard it before. She thought hard, raking her brain for any memory that she had when she heard that song.

_How can you remember the song, if you had lost some of you memories? _a voice said, inside her head.

_Shut up, _Piper snapped at the voice.

_Calm down, I was just reminding you. No harm done, _the voice protested.

"Jimmy, where did you learn that song?" Piper asked, looking at Logan's eyes. She suddenly felt like she was in a whirlpool, being sucked out from reality and into one of Logan's memory.

**_XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx_**

_Jimmy sat on a dead log, around the fire. It was already midnight and still there were no report about their enemies. Victor was busy sharpening his claws, not caring about the disgusted looks of the other soldiers around them. There were lots of mutants in the army, but they were outnumbered by the normal human beings. As he sat on the dead log, a man, younger than he was, started whistling a tune from proverbial song and Jimmy was sure that the song was sung by a lot of soldier in the camp. _

_"It's a war song," the younger man said, as if reading his mind. Jimmy hadn't noticed that he had stopped whistling. _

_"Is that so," Jimmy said, in a husk tone of voice. _

_"My father taught me that song when I was a kid," the young man stated, clearly wanting to have a conversation. _

_Jimmy acted like he was interested, but in fact, he wasn't. He wasn't the type of guy who would like to have a conversation with anyone. _

_"He told me that, whenever someone sings that song, the spirits would surely hear him and aid him in the battlefield," the guy added, eagerly. His eyes seemed to twinkle when he explained further what the song was. Jimmy was slightly amused by the kid's explanation. It sounded convincing, but he knew that it was all just a legend. Something to believe in, just so they could be able to relay on something. _

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**_

Piper was pushed back to reality. She shook her head, dazed. She was feeling weak and exhausted by getting inside Logan's memory. She was afraid that she might had lost another memory with what she did. She looked around. Everything seemed to be fine, except that she was lying on the damp ground. Logan was holding her, closely and tightly. He was worried.

"What happened? You just passed out all of a sudden when I was telling you the story about the song I was whistling," he informed.

Piper sat up and moved away from Logan. She needed some space and air. "I don't know. It's just that, I got suck into one of your memories," she whispered, as if she couldn't believe it herself. In the past, she didn't faint whenever she uses her power, but how come she fainted now?

Logan stood up and helped her get on her feet. "Maybe you're just tired. I think we better turn back. I'm sure Victor would go back," he said, patting her shoulders.

Piper shook her head. "I'm fine. Why are we in here, anyway?" she asked, looking around.

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Because we were looking for Victor," he replied, baffled.

Piper tilted her head to one side as if his answer made her even more mystified. "Why?"

Logan looked at her suspiciously. If she was playing games with him, it wasn't funny. "Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

Piper glared at him. "I am sure, so tell me, why are we following Victor?"

Logan took hold of her hand. "You had lost another memory," he said, soberly.

Piper pulled her hands away from Logan's. She didn't believe a word he said. "That's not true. I know you're just kidding me, right?" she said. She laughed, nervously, hoping that it was a joke. "Right? That was just a joke."

"Piper."

That was it. Piper turned away from him and ran. She didn't know where she was heading but, she just wanted to run away from Logan. No, not from Logan, but from the truth. She didn't want to think that she had lost another precious memory. _What's happening to me? _she thought. Unwanted tears started to come out. She didn't want to cry. _Go away. _She ran faster. She could hear Logan shouting after her. It was a miracle that she was running fast.

"PIPER!"

_Go away! _

Piper didn't want to hear his voice or anyone's voice. Why was she here, outside? Where was Victor? Why was this happening? So many questions and she couldn't answer even one of the questions. She had forgotten them. _Where's my house? _She was horrified when she realized that she couldn't remember the way to her beloved cottage, where she sought for comfort and warmth. _Oh no. _

The tears that she had been holding flowed freely. This was her nightmare. Those memories that were more precious than every material things on Earth were gone and she didn't know how to get them back. She wanted them back. Why can't she just remember anything?

Piper couldn't hear Logan's voice anymore and she couldn't sense his thoughts. She was glad that she couldn't hear anything inside her mind except for her own thoughts. The usual murmuring and noises inside her mind were gone and for the first time, it was quiet, so she was thankful for that. It seemed like her power was a gift disguised in a curse, or maybe it was the other way around. She could know everything that runs inside the mind of a person. She can hear their intentions, whether it was good or bad. Sometime she hated it and sometimes, she was grateful for it.

She slowed down since she was tired. It seemed like her legs were too sore to move and her mind was too exhausted to think. She stopped near an old tree with a wide trunk. The dead roots that were sticking out of the ground seemed to form a small place where Piper could lie down on. Without thinking, she collapse, not caring whether her dress was dirty or in a mess. As long as she would be able to have peace, even for just a short time.

She sighed, contentedly. She was grateful for the peaceful silence inside her head. She closed her eyes and let her breathing be even. She could live a life like this, quiet and peaceful.

_"Would you like to be with us?" the young Jimmy asked. _

_Victor shot him a look. He was shocked to hear that his brother was inviting this stranger to join them. What made him even more unhappy to hear was that because he will be the oldest and that meant he had to guide the two of them when he, himself, didn't have any idea of what they will do._

_Piper looked unsure. "I don't know if your brother would like that. Besides, I'm fine being alone."_

_Jimmy looked at Victor pleadingly, "You wouldn't mind, would you?"_

_Victor looked at him doubtfully before glancing at Piper. He didn't want to have someone tag along with them since it will just make him worry more, but when he looked at Piper, he was struck with the gravity of her situation. She still needed somebody to look after her since she was still a kid, but she had survived in the woods by herself this whole time. Well, if she knew how to live alone in this kind of place, then it will never hurt to bring her along with us, he thought._

_Victor looked at Logan and then to Piper, smiling just enough to reveal two sharp canines, "Sure. Why don't you tag along with us?"_

_Jimmy's face lit up with a huge grin. His expression was priceless. The boy was really happy to have a friend like Piper join them in their journey._

_Piper gave Victor and Jimmy a shy smile and said, "Thanks." She felt like her heart had been freed from a small cage within her. Nothing but gratitude shone in eyes as she looked towards the two brothers, they just made her feel as if she was as free as a bird. She was really thankful to the two of them. For the past few years, she had been alone. Before, she thought she would never remember what it felt like to be happy again, but as Victor let her join their company, she instantly knew that she would find happiness with them. She just couldn't stop smiling._

_"You don't have to thank us," Logan said._

Piper felt her chest ached as she remembered the very night when she was accepted by the two siblings. How could she be this selfish? Running away from them, without even thinking of what they'll feel. _I think this will be for the best, _she thought. She knew that if she stayed longer, Victor and Logan would only worry more and be burdened by her situation. She sat up and pulled her legs closer to her chest. She laid her head on her knees as she let her tears come out, once more.

Selfish, that was what she thought she was. If only she had looked at the other way around, she would have realized that if she left them, they would only get worse than what she thought they would be. If only she wasn't too oblivious, she would have noticed that they need her, just the way she needed them. If only....

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**Well, what do you think? Don't forget to review and tell me what your favorite scene in the story. Thank you for reading! ^^**


	22. Part Twenty: NEAR

**Well, um, I updated again! Yey! I'm sorry if my grammar sucks and I can't describe something, properly. I'm still practicing on my writing skills. Now, we're getting near at the ending. I hope that you liked this story, so far. Anyway, please enjoy! ^_^**

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**Part Twenty: NEAR**

Victor couldn't understand the squirmy feeling that was at the pit of his stomach. He felt like something was going to happen that he'll not like. _Why couldn't I find him? Could it be that he's meddling with my mind? _It frustrated Victor whenever he thought of Butcher, tricking him. He wouldn't accept it. He believed that if a man did get tricked by the fool, he deserved to be called an idiot. He was walking, swiftly and he made sure that he could see everything and hear everything.

Victor was making his way between two old trees when his attention was caught. He heard something. He wasn't sure what it was. He could hear a low ragged breathing and a sniffling sound. It sounded like someone was crying. It was a silent cry. It made him reminisce Piper's crying when she was little. He could hear that it was coming from somewhere behind the tree at his right side. He made his way around the tree. His eyes widened when he realized that it was really Piper who was crying. She was curled into a ball and she was shaking and trembling from head to toe.

"Piper?"

Piper gasped when she heard the soft deep voice that she loved since childhood. She tried to stop crying and dried her eyes. She didn't want him to see her like this. "V-Victor?" she asked, not turning around for she didn't want to look at him for fear her heart might break. Her voice was thick from crying.

Victor's heart sunk when he heard her voice. She seemed to be in so much pain, and here he was, obviously not helping her cease the pain. He took a step forward. He wanted to comfort her and tell her that she need not to cry for he'll never leave her, anymore. But an invisible force seemed to pull him away from her. He struggled to be free from this invisible bind, but he couldn't. It was too powerful.

"Don't come near me," Piper said, softly.

Victor looked at her, baffled. "Is this your doing?"

Piper nodded her head. A tear silently rolled down her cheeks. She wiped it with the back of her hand. She didn't know that she could do it, but she knew that she was preventing him to come a step nearer. She could feel the powerful force that was coming out of her mind. She can't explain it, but she knew that she was the one doing it.

"I demand you to stop this childishness. You're not alone, Piper." Victor struggled some more, hoping that he could break free from this bond that was holding him back.

Piper was enraged when she heard what he had said. She whipped around to faced him. Victor stopped struggling, for he was shocked. He didn't know why. It seemed like, instead of seeing the same Piper, the Piper that seemed so young and fragile, he saw another Piper. The Piper that was in front of him right now seemed to have grown and the fire in her eyes seemed to make her look mature, instead of her childish, but cute, features that she had.

"How dare you say that, when you had just turned your back on us when we said the same thing to you!" she screamed, angrily. He was making it hard for her to say good bye, that was the reason that she got mad. She even became more furious because of herself. Why was she so weak to say those two words?

Piper's word seemed to stung Victor. He bowed his head, because of frustration. How could he make Piper trust him again? It was funny how they know each other so well, and yet, they just couldn't figure each other out. Why did it have to be this complicated?

Victor could feel that he could move slightly. It seemed like Piper was losing her focus on him. He looked up to see Piper. It seemed like she was getting paler. _She still couldn't use her powers that long, _he thought. When he sensed that he could move freely, he slowly took a step forward. Sure enough, Piper had truly lost her control over him.

Piper felt a little dizzy and it seemed like her surroundings kept on spinning. Her vision was getting blurred. _Too tired, _she thought. _Need some rest. _The next thing she knew, she felt like she was falling.

Fortunately, Victor had noticed this. Before she could even hit the ground, Victor sprinted after her and was just in time to catch her when she fell.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Piper didn't faint. She was conscious. She just fell down. She stared at Victor and it seemed like a hole was punched on her chest as soon as she saw his face, looking at her with concern. It made her realized how stupid it sounded when she thought of running away. She reached out to touch Victor's face. "Sorry," she whispered.

Victor was relieved. She was okay. He smirked, wanting to lighten up the dark atmosphere that was surrounding them. "You really are stupid," he said. His smile faded, when he saw how serious she looked at him. He took her hands off his face. "I'm the one who should apologize." He closed his eyes and held her hands tightly. He placed her hand on his chest. "Feel that?"

Piper gave him a puzzled expression. "What do you mean?"

Victor chuckled. She really was naive. "My heart is beating so fast right now. Know why?"

Piper's face turned scarlet. She could feel the heat rise up to her cheeks as she heard what Victor had said. She tried letting go of his hand, but he still held on it. He didn't want to lose her.

"You're the one who's doing this to me," said Victor. He let her hand go as he finished what he wanted to say. He wanted to hold on to her a little more longer, but then, he didn't want to force her. He still remembered that he told her that he'll wait for her.

Piper hastily scrambled on her feet and stepped further away from him. She was so red in the face that Victor thought that she looked like a tomato. She was so embarrassed that she wanted to hide herself and get away from Victor.

Victor sighed. He stood up and took a step forward, getting nearer. Piper, on the other hand, took another step backward, clearly not wanting him to get near her.

Victor rolled his eyes. _No wonder I never get to confess to her properly, _he thought. He took another step forward and she took another step backward. He was becoming frustrated. Why couldn't she act mature? This was the perfect time for him to....

"Someone is coming," Piper and Victor said in unison. They tensed as they felt like someone was getting nearer.

"Aw, such a perfect couple. Too bad someone just came in and interrupted them."

Piper and Victor turned around to faced a man with huge bulky arms that seemed to be unusually long. He was too big for a normal person and Piper was dwarf by comparison with this guy. He got a smug look on his face, as if he had just found something that he had been looking for. Which, by the way, was partially the truth. He had found Victor's weakness.

Victor growled. His nails were getting longer and he was itching for Anthony's neck. He stepped forward, but then he froze. He didn't know what was happening to him. It seemed like he was being held on the same spot. He looked at Piper who was also frozen and was turning paler and paler. She wasn't the one who's doing it. There was somebody else who's doing this to them.

Anthony smirked as he noticed the confusion of Piper and Victor. "Oh, it's rude of me to not introduce you to my new friends," he said. He turned around and motioned three men to show themselves. "Here's my friend, Maestro." He indicated to the short man who seemed to be the type of person who's allergic to everything. His nose seemed crooked and his eyes were small and beady. His limbs were so thin that it seemed like it would snap into two every time he walks.

"He's the one who's controlling your body right now. He also manipulated your minds a while ago and last night. As you can see, he's a great telepath, just like that beautiful young lady over there," Anthony added. He winked at Victor and Victor swore that as soon as he could move, he'll surely break his neck.

"This one," Anthony continued, pointing at a bald man with a muscular body and a matching mustache. "is Alfredo, but you can call him Punisher. He can snap anything into two. Even you." He gazed at Victor. His eyes held greediness.

Punisher grinned. mischievously and wolf-whistled Piper. This made Victor to react fiercely. He made another attempt to get out of Maestro's grip, but his attempt was futile. Anthony and Punisher laughed at him. He hated it whenever he felt like he was useless and weak. How he wish that he could cut their heads off, just at least one of them.

"Lookey here, this guy looks like a fish caught by a net. C'mon, move closer. Have a piece of me. What? You can't move?," Punisher taunted. He slapped Maestro at the back as he laughed harder. It seemed like Maestro was frightened by Punisher's action, since he almost jumped.

If Piper wasn't mistaken, he got a Spanish accent.

Victor bared his teeth at Punisher. After tearing Anthony to pieces, he'll make sure that Punisher wil be next.

"Oh, I'm scared now," Punisher mocked.

Anthony threw him a glare that silenced him. "The last, but definitely not the least, is Ace." He laid a hand on a man, who seemed to be vaguely familiar to Piper. He got a perfectly chiseled face and he has the same height as Victor's. He got a dark thick hair.

Piper shot Victor a look to confirm that she had met this man before. Her unasked question was answered as soon as she saw Victor's expression. He got this furious look on his face. He was going red in the face and he struggled even harder to get out of the invisible bond that was preventing them to move.

The handsome man called Ace took a step forward and bowed down to Piper, just like a gentleman. "How do yah do? It's a pleasure meeting yah again," he said, with a touch of southern accent. His eyes seemed to be glowing as he stared at Piper.

Victor gritted his teeth. The man who had attempted to harm Piper in the past was back. It was the man who had tried to do something to Piper during the celebration in town. It was the man who couldn't feel any pain. The one who ran away. The coward......

"You bastard!" Victor snarled. He really hated this situation.

Anthony chuckled. "I know that it's a touching reunion between your old friend, but I think the celebration should wait. We still have some other surprises for the two of you," he said, slyly. He nodded to Maestro who nodded back.

Piper suddenly felt like she was going limp. She couldn't feel her legs and her arms. She was feeling numb all over her body, but she knew that she was walking towards the bad guys. "What the--" She threw a scared expression to Victor. She was disputably freaking out.

Victor stared at her as she continued making her way towards Anthony. "What are you doing to her?" he demanded. He tried moving, but he still couldn't escaped Maestro's control.

Punisher smirked. "She's ours now. She'll keep us company while you and Butcher talk."

Piper reached them and stood firmly, in front of Ace.

Ace threw his arm around her shoulders. He leaned his chin on top of her headm since he was tall enough, and faced Victor with a smug expression. "She's mahne for now," he said. Victor was getting irked at his southern accent.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Victor threatened. He struggled, furiously, to get out of Maestro's control. He was in the verge of going wild. He might have a frenzy if he would continue to watch them touch Piper like that.

Piper still couldn't feel anything. When Ace touched her, she wanted to punched and kicked him. She would had have saved Victor and finish these guys. She didn't like the way how she acted like a puppet to Maestro.

"Take her away, boys," Anthony said, smiling.

Punisher grabbed Piper's arm and forced her to walk. She obliged, against her will, and led the way. She didn't know where they were going to take her, but she didn't like the way the two men look at her.

Maestro and Anthony were left with Victor. Anthony rubbed his hands together. "Now, let's go. We'll discuss some important things in the warehouse. Don't worry. As long as you do what I say, she'll not get hurt," he reassured.

Victor didn't believe any words that were coming out from his mouth. He snarled, baring two sharp canine. "Whatever you say."

Butcher smirked. "Good. Well then, Maestro."

Maestro seemed to be nervous.

Victor felt numb, just like what happened to Piper. He, too, lost control over his legs and his arms. He started marching forward, heading where Ace and the others were headed.

"That's more like it," Anthony said, right behind Victor. Maestro was right beside him, and Victor knew that Maestro was scared and frightened. He knew that he was being forced to do this.

"You'll never get away with this," said Victor.

Maestro gulped, but still continued controlling Victor.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Logan hadn't been able to catch up with Piper, which was quite unexpected. He knew that Piper wasn't a fast runner and he knew that she couldn't run that far. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath. This was getting harder than he thought. He had lost track of her too. He couldn't find her tracks and he couldn't even smell her scent. _Damn it, _he thought. He kicked the dead leaves on the ground, frustrated. He scratched his head and looked around.

_She must not be that far,_ he thought. He tried to guess where she could have headed, but was hesitant. He might take the wrong direction. It was unusual of him to not be able to smell her scent and to lose sight of her. He was about to make up his mind and head towards West when he heard something. It sounded like a splashing of water on the shore. It seemed like he hadn't been in this part of the forest. He followed the sound and sure enough, he found a lake.

_A lake, _he thought. He looked around. The water was bluer than the sky. The sky and the surface of the water seemed to meet as he looked at the horizon. It was a beautiful sight. He was standing at a cliff. He breathe in, letting the fresh air fill his lungs. _Too much stress_. He looked down and saw that the lake must be at least 50 feet below. He suddenly had the urge to jump from the cliff and dive in the icy cold water. Something was making him do it. He felt like he needed to do it. He got a feeling that he'll be able to find Piper and Victor once he jump.

_Should I?_

Without any second thoughts, he jumped. He knew that it was stupid, but it was his instinct that told him to do it. And usually, his instinct is always correct. He landed on the surface of the water, hard and he continued going deeper down the water. He started to swim upwards. It was freezing and he wanted to get out of the water, fast. _I think what I did was stupid, _he thought once he came up. He looked around, finding the shore. Good thing it was quite near. He was in a hurry to get out of the water.

He exhausted himself in swimming. Once he reached the shore, he lied down, panting. _Next time, before I do something stupid, I better think twice, _he reminded himself. When he felt like his strength was back, he sat up. He scanned the shore and was surprised to see a dull, gray warehouse. He looked at it, suspiciously, wondering who on earth would build a building in the shore of a lake. He got up and made his way towards the warehouse. He studied it.

_Hm, must be used as a hideout, _he thought. He put a hand on his chin as he observed the mysterious place. He turned around when he heard people getting nearer. He hid behind one of the huge boulders and took a look at the people who were coming. His mouth dropped open when he saw two men who were pushing and forcing Piper to walk inside the warehouse and behind them was Victor and two more men.

_What the...._

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**_Hope that you like this. Please REVIEW. Sorry if this sucks.....-_- | ^^_**


	23. Part TwentyOne: BE MY ESCAPE

**Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. It took me forever to update. You see, there was a very strong tropical storm that hit my country, making it hard for me to use the computer since the internet was, yeah, you know. _ Anyway, please enjoy! ^_^**

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Part Twenty-One: BE MY ESCAPE

Logan watched Piper and Victor, silently, as they were accompanied inside the warehouse. _How come they're not resisting them? _he thought, suspiciously. He knew his brother, well. It was in Victor's nature to be stubborn. He wouldn't listen to any of your reasoning. He's impatient and doesn't like to be held down. He would put up a fight before hearing what you need to say to him, and sometimes, he wouldn't even listen to you.

"Ah like your attitude, missy," he heard a handsome man whispered to Piper. Thanks to Logan's enhanced hearing abilities, he heard what the man had said. It took every ounce of his self-control to not come out of his hiding place and slash the man's head off his neck. He was outnumbered and judging by the way Victor and Piper moved, it seemed like someone was controlling them, making them useless. If he showed himself to them, he knew that there would only be 30% chance of saving Piper and Victor from the enemies, since one against four were definitely unfair. First thing that should be remembered in times like this was let your foes make the first move so that you'll know who you're dealing with.

Logan watched them as they entered the warehouse. Piper and Victor hadn't got any expression on their face. _The one who's controlling them must be the small, weak one, _he thought, watching them, warily. As soon as the door of the warehouse closed behind the unusual party, Logan stepped out of the boulder. He started making a plan for him to rescue his brother and Piper.

_I can make a diversion, _he thought. He scratched his head as he tried to rake his brain for any great ideas on how to do his rescue mission. Unfortunately, he still hadn't got a clue. _Why do I need a plan, anyway? I can just kick their butts once I get inside. _He took a deep breath. He had made up his mind. He'll sneak inside the warehouse and try to rescue Victor, first. He thought that the awkward looking man with a crooked nose was easy to take down. If ever that man was the one controlling Victor, then it might be hard, but it never hurt to at least try, right?

Logan made his way to the back of the building. The warehouse wasn't exactly that huge. It has two floors. It was two times bigger than their house in the city. _There must be a lot of rooms in there, _he thought. He peeked inside the window. It was dark inside, so he couldn't see anything clearly. _They must be in the second floor. _He looked up and sure enough, he found that one room was illuminated. He wished that it was where Victor was being held.

He scanned the area, checking if there was anyone watching him. _Who am I kidding? I'm in the middle of no where, so why worry about being watched by someone? _He snorted. He went around the building and tried the door. _Yeah right, sneaking inside a house by the front door is a great idea, if I want to get caught. _He rolled his eyes. There were two ways in getting in. One was using the front door, which was the only door present in the place, while the second one was smashing the windows, which means, making loud noises and that will surely get the attention of his enemies.

_Hm, which to choose. _He thought about the possible events that may occur when he barge inside the building using the windows. _If I use the windows, I'll be able to create a distraction and there might be a possibility that I might get caught, easily. _He now turned his thoughts to the other idea that he had. _Now, if I use the door, there's a good chance that there'll be someone guarding the door. _He took a deep breath. _It's better to try than not to. _

He walked over the door and looked up. He was still debating with himself about what to use. He shook his head. He had made up his mind. Using the windows was a risk and the door wasn't that dangerous. He held the knob of the door and turned it. The door creaked as he slowly pushed it open. He slipped inside the building as quietly as he could and shut the door behind him, without making any sound. _That was easy, _he thought, but he spoke too soon.

He felt like someone hit him behind his back. He staggered forward, hitting the ground. He felt a little dizzy and he thought that he could see stars above his head.

Logan touched the back of his head and could feel that there was something wet on it. He looked at his fingers and saw that there was blood covering it. He growled, slightly. He turned around and saw a bald man with a mustache. The man's body was well-built. He sure got a lot of muscles.

"Lookey here." The man chuckled. "Didn't your mother teach you that curiosity can kill?" he snickered. He took Logan's collar and lifted him off his feet. "Now, what brings you here?" he asked.

Logan put on a disgusted face. The man stinks. He smells like he hadn't been brushing his teeth since he was born. He smells of tobacco and sweat. It seemed like had been drinking. Logan withdrew his bone claws, slowly, not making a sound. Now that his foe had taken the first move, it was his turn. "How about you? Didn't your mother teach you to be nice to visitors?" He slashed through the man's chest.

Punisher was taken in by surprise. He didn't expect that the stranger would recover too fast. He stumbled back, and let go of Logan. Logan took this as a good time to make another move. He swept the man off his feet, making the man lie down on the floor, flat on his back.

Logan smirked. "I see that you're not tough at all," he sneered. He suppressed a laugh which made Punisher's blood boiled. He hated being embarrassed.

Punisher quickly got up and swung his fist around wildly, hitting the lower jaw of Logan.

Logan felt like his bones cracked as Punisher hit him. He fell down on his butt again. This guy was strong, as in, abnormally strong.

"Not so tough now, eh?" Punisher snorted. He advanced towards Logan, who was rubbing his jaw.

_Faster, _Logan thought. He was desperate for his healing factor to repair the broken bones of his jaw. He needed it badly, or else he might have another broken bones. He stood up just in time to receive another punch. This time on the stomach. _That's gotta hurt. _He went flying in the air and hitting a door. He smashed into it and got inside a room. It was empty.

"Is my guest, enjoying the visit or is he regretting it?" Punisher taunted, following him inside the barren room. The walls didn't have any color on them. It was dull just like the appearance of the building outside. Logan tried standing up, but he felt pain all over his body. It seemed like he had broken every bone in his arms, but good thing his healing factor was working.

"What? Can't move? Have you lost your tongue as well as yourself?" Punisher stood over Logan who was lying on his stomach. He grabbed a fistful of Logan's hair and made him look up at him.

A lot of curses went inside Logan's head as soon as he felt the pain of his hair being pulled off. He bit his tongue to prevent himself from screaming. He didn't want to attract more attention, but judging by the splintered door, they had already created enough noise to attract the attention of the others. Maybe his pals were careless and believed that Punisher could handle any intruder, but they were wrong.

As soon as Logan felt his bones were back to normal, he punched the guy, straight in the face.

Punisher howled in pain. He let go of Logan and stepped back. That small guy was strong, too. He covered his face with his hands as he felt something warm dripping from his nose. He had broken his nose. He glared at Logan, who was now on his feet. "How did you do that? No one could survive my attacks," bellowed Punisher. He wiped his bloody hands on his shirt, ignoring his broken nose. It was just a nose, no big deal.

Logan smirked. "That's because I'm not an ordinary person, bub." He charged at him, tackling him. They smashed into the wall, making a huge hole. _I didn't expect that to happen, _Logan thought. They still continued smashing some more walls. Until at last, Logan was sure that the guy wasn't moving, anymore. He stopped pushing him and Punisher fell down the floor with a loud thud. _Unconscious. _He observed Punisher, making sure that he's alive or dead. He kicked him, but he didn't move. "As I said, you're not so tough," Logan murmured. He walked around him and stared at the mess that they had made.

It seemed like they had smashed at least seven walls. Logan sighed. "That was too easy," he said. He turned around to check if the guy was still not moving. His eyes widened as he realized that Punisher was gone. He looked around. He was nowhere to be seen. "Damn it!" he cursed.

"Don't go off killing me yet. I am invincible!"

Logan turned around, just to be greeted by an unpleasant fist on his face. Punisher got this devious grin on his face, which reminded Logan about the foes that he had defeated in the war. They wanted more blood that was what the smile said.

Logan was knocked off his feet at the strong force. He had knocked the wind out of him. He hit the ground, hard enough for a normal person's skull to crack. Fortunately, Logan wasn't your type of normal person. His entire vision seemed to get blurry. He shook his head. _Got to stay focus. I need to save Piper and Victor, _he told himself.

Punisher was laughing, menacingly as he walked towards Logan. With his punch, Logan had been sent flying to the other room. He didn't expect that a wall would crumble when Logan crashed to it. "I must admit, you're tougher than you look," Punisher said, trying to sound cool, but his anger was still obvious.

Logan stood up, very slowly. He staggered, but then he regained balance. His head was throbbing, but it was better than having a broken skull. He just remembered why he loves his abilities. "You're not too shabby yourself," he said, in spite of his pain. He spat blood on the ground. The cuts, bruises and scratches that he had received from crashing into a lot of walls were healing rather slowly, but his broken bones were repaired almost immediately.

Punisher gaped at him, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "How come you're still alive?" he shouted.

"I should ask the same question to you," Logan scoffed. He unsheathed his claws again. The process was painful, but he got used to it. His wounds would eventually heal itself, anyway. "Now, this is where the fun really starts," Logan said, threateningly.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Piper was in an almost empty room. The walls were gray and colorless. There was a window which looks out at the beautiful lake. Too bad it wasn't a good time to admire the scene. She was tied to a chair, and she was gagged too. She couldn't speak and she couldn't move. Her hands were getting numb because of the tightness of the rope.

"Y' better calm down," said Ace who was watching her the whole time. He was leaning on the uninteresting wall. There was another chair, but he said that he was fine with standing.

Piper shot him a cold look. She hated him and the other guy. She just wished that she was with Victor. _How can I calm down if I'm in a place like this with a guy who seemed to be a maniac, _she told him, telepathically.

The guy smirked. He likes the lady's attitude. She was strong and stubborn. She's brave too and it seemed like her spirit would never be dampen by anything in the world. He walked towards her, very slowly.

Piper eyed him, suspiciously. She didn't like what's on his mind. _What are you doing? _She tried to move away from him as far as she could. She was tied down on a chair, so she didn't have much choice.

"You don't have to be afraid of me," he said, in his soft and soothing voice. The words that were rolling off his tongue sounded true, but Piper knew better than to trust those petty talks. He was just messing with her. She knew what he was really planning to do.

"Here, I'll take that cloth of your mouth so that we can talk," he said. He reached out and untied the strip of cloth that was preventing her to talk.

As soon as the cloth was off her, she started screaming at him. "You idiot! Untie me. Now."

Ace laughed. "You're really amusing," said he.

Piper glared at him. How dare he laugh at her. She didn't say anything amusing at all. She was serious and she wasn't in a cheerful mood to crack a joke.

Ace was still laughing, uncontrollably. Piper couldn't understand why he was laughing that hard. She hadn't said anything funny. She watched him laugh, with a baffled expression. She was getting irked. Why can't he take things seriously?

At last, Ace had finished laughing. He wiped the tear that escaped his eyes while he was laughing. He looked at Piper with a grin on his face. "The world would have been a better place if all the girls here are like you," he said.

Piper rolled her eyes. This guy was really a lady's man. She bet that he had told every lady that he had met the same thing. She stuck out her tongue when he had turned his back on her. She knew what was inside his head. He was thinking of his reward. He and Anthony had struck a bargain, two days ago. Anthony had offered him a large sum of money. Ace was planning on going to another town to spend his money on things he likes. One of those things was women.

Ace suddenly tensed, Piper too. They had heard some crashing sound downstairs. He looked at Piper, suspiciously. "What are you doing?" he asked, not taking his eyes off her.

Piper could sense his fear. He was a coward, after all. She smiled, mischievously. She could use this moment to escape. "Oh, nothing," she said, innocently. "I just hope your _little _friend is alright." Her smile widened when Ace's eyes turned big as saucers.

"What do you mean?" he asked, nervously.

Piper shrugged her shoulders, casually. "You mean Anthony hadn't told you anything?" She pretended that she was surprised. She slightly leaned forward, as if she was about to tell him her secret. "I can do things by my mind. I don't have to be in the same room to do harm on a person. I just have to think what I want to do with that person." She was scaring him. He was frightened.

Ace took a step away from her, as if his nearness was killing him. Piper smirked. "I thought you wish that every woman in the world is like me? How come you look disgusted?" she asked, pouting slightly. She was laughing inwardly.

Ace managed to let out a chuckle, despite his nervousness. It seemed like he had changed his mind about this girl. She wasn't the person he thought she was. "Did I say that?" he asked. He gulped when Piper looked like she was concentrating. He was afraid that she might do something to her. Maybe she could do what Maestro could do. Maybe she might kill him, on the spot. "I think I'll go and check on Punisher," he said, hoping that he could get as far away from her as possible. He made his way to the door, as quietly as he could, as if just a drop of pin would make Piper do something to him. He opened the door, very, very slowly went out of the room. As soon as he got out of the room, he relaxed a little. _That was close, _he thought.

_Boo!_

Ace, handsome and powerful screamed. "You're a witch!" he shouted. He started running away from the door, hoping that he could get far. Before he could even go down, he didn't noticed where he was going. He had run straight into the windows. Good thing he couldn't feel pain at all, but what happened next had ended his short life.

Piper smirked. She felt proud of herself. She had been able to kick her 'guard' out of the room. _Who's the boss now? _She checked the thick rope that was around her wrist. _He sure knows how to tie a knot. _She tried untying herself by her mind. _Easy as pie, _she told herself as soon as her hands were free from the bonds around it. She examined her wrists. It was red and there were some marks. She ignored it and moved to freeing her feet from the rope.

When she could already move around the room and had been able to get the circulation back into her legs, she decided that she should rescue Victor. _It never hurts to be a hero for one day, _she thought.

She went out of the room and scanned the corridor full of doors. Which door should she choose? She saw a window, shattered into pieces. She walked over it and looked down.

What she saw next made her want to puke. She saw the disfigured body of Ace. His dead body was in a pool of blood. It seemed like his skull had been shattered, just like the window. She instantly felt sorry for him. _Poor guy._

She looked around some more, making sure that no one was there, before closing her eyes. She focused her mind to the voices inside her head and tried to forget the horrible scene that she had seen.

_There's another one, _she heard a proverbial voice said.

Piper was confused. Did she just hear the voice of Logan inside her head? She concentrated harder on his voice. If ever it was Logan's, she would jump for joy. She followed the voice and it led her on the ground floor. With her eyes closed, she had been able to get down the second floor, safely.

Suddenly, a body went flying past her. Literally.

Piper opened her eyes as she felt something flew past her. She involuntarily stepped back. She lost her balanced and fell down on her butt. She gaped at the limped body at her right side. It was Punisher. She snapped her head to the opposite direction when she heard someone approaching. It was only Logan.

"Piper!" Logan was surprised to see her there. He thought that she'll be stuck in a place, tied down on a chair.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Of course I was tied down on a chair. I just got out, thanks to my wits and intelligence," she informed, smugly.

Logan smiled. He went towards her and pulled her on her feet. As soon as she stood up, he hugged her so tightly that she felt like he was squeezing her until she couldn't breathe anymore.

"Sorry," Logan said. He still didn't pull away from her, but he didn't hold her so tightly anymore.

Piper grinned. "I'm glad that you're here," she said, hugging him.

Logan chuckled. "I think the two of you are lucky to have me around," he joked.

They pulled away from each other and fell silent for a moment.

"Where's Victor?" Logan asked.

Piper frowned. "That is an excellent question. Actually, I was searching for him, too," she answered, sheepishly.

Logan took a whiff in the air. His brother was near. "C'mon. I think he's upstairs with his 'friends.' "

Piper nodded and followed Logan.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Victor kept his eyes on Maestro, who was huddled at the corner, looking frightened and weak, as Butcher talked.

"As you can see, I'm offering you something big," Anthony stated, "and you just can't give me a chance to tell you what's my offer." He was pacing back and forth in front of Victor, with his hands behind his back.

Victor was tied down on a chair in a dark and empty room, just like Piper. The only difference was that, he was tied down by a steel chain. Maestro was restraining him to move, by his mind, just in case. Victor turned his attention to Butcher, as soon as he heard what he had said. His eyes held nothing but hatred and loathing.

"Hm, let me think. What makes you think that I'll accept your offer, when you had kidnapped me and my friend," Victor said, sarcastically.

Butcher raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm offering something big," he repeated. "Anyway, I'm recruiting people like you in my group. Wait, let me finish first."

Victor had opened his mouth to say something, but was forced to shut it since Maestro had made him to.

"As you can see," Anthony continued, "this group I'm forming is going to be rich. Every member in that group will get everything that they have ever wanted. They can do anything they want to do. They can live anywhere. They can have the time of their life."

Anthony had gotten carried away when he explained to Victor his vision and his plans. He paused for a while to catch his breath.

Victor laughed.

Maestro stared at him.

Anthony scowled. "What? You think it's funny?" In a flash, he was standing in front of Victor and had grabbed the collar of Victor's shirt. He made Victor looked at him straight in the eye. "Try laughing at me again and you'll surely regret it," he hissed.

Victor smirked, revealing two sharp canines. "It seemed like someone had forgotten to brush his teeth this morning," he snickered, pissing Anthony off.

Anthony let go of Victor and threw a punch on his face. "You're lucky that you had only received a punch from me," he said.

Victor glared at him. Did he mention that he hated Anthony? He spat on Anthony's shoes. "You're luckier since I only spat on your shoes."

Anthony was getting redder in the face. This guy was pushing him to his limitations. He gritted his teeth. _Patience, _he reminded himself. He faked a smile. "Let's go back to my offer," he said, through clenched teeth.

Victor rolled his eyes. He was tired of listening to this guy. He was crazy. He didn't want to waste his time in listening to his blabbering. He averted his eyes on Anthony and stared at Maestro, who had turned paler.

_The girl…._

Victor's eyes widened when he heard someone else's voice inside his head. It wasn't Piper's. It was from the scrawny guy. He looked at him, doubtfully. What did he want from Piper?

_Take care of her. Don't let her forget everything…._

This time, Victor got really confused. What did he mean? _Huh?_

The guy shook his head and pointed at Anthony who was busy talking. _Can't explain it now. Just don't let her get out of your sight. Take care of her._

Victor raised an eyebrow. What did he mean?

_You don't have to tell me that one. I'm already on it, _he assured the guy.

The little guy smiled.

_That's better…._

Anthony seemed to notice that Victor wasn't listening to him anymore. He stepped in front of him. "You know that I don't want to force you or anything, but you have left me with no choice," he said, slowly. He turned to Maestro. It was time. "Do it. Now."

Maestro seemed to hesitate, but he was scared to say no. He had no choice. He nodded his head, hastily and went on to his work. _Sorry…._

Victor watched him. It seemed like he wouldn't like what they were doing. "What's happening?" He felt like he was being put into sleep, though he was wide awake. He couldn't explain what he was feeling but he only knew that he couldn't seem to think straight. He was having flashbacks. He could see his memories. Everything that he had done.

_Forget everything…._

He didn't want to forget anything. He saw a memory of Piper. She was smiling at him and waving her arms, eagerly.

_Forget her….._

He saw his little brother's pale face when they had ran away from home.

_Forget him….._

He saw himself, staring at Piper and Logan.

_Forget all of it….._

It was as if a replay button was pressed and all of his memories were moving backward, until it stopped on a certain scene in his mind, which he desperately wanted to forget. His hands were stained with blood.

_That's what you are. _

Victor was jerked back to reality. He looked around. Anthony was smiling, deviously and Maestro was trembling and sweating. He looked beat. Victor couldn't describe what he was feeling. He suddenly felt angry. Angry at Logan. Angry at Piper and angry at himself. He growled. He easily broke the steel chain that was tying him down on the chair. He wanted to shred something to pieces. He couldn't explain the sudden rage that was building inside his body. He just wanted blood.

"Welcome, my friend," Anthony said, with an evil grin. "Glad to hear that you're interested in my offer……."

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**Well, what do you think? Sorry if the fighting scene sucks. I'm not good in writing violence…..-_- Anyway, please REVIEW ^^**


	24. Part TwentyTwo: RUN AWAY

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Hey guys! Sorry for the late update. I had a lot of things to do, plus our exam will be soon and we have a lot of activities in school, so, yeah, it's like hell. Anyway, please enjoy! ^_^

**((Warning: I really do suck in writing fighting scenes, so please tell me what I should do to improve them, really, I'm serious. I wouldn't mind seeing some (or a lot) criticism in the reviews, as long as it can improve my writing skills!))**

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Part Twenty-Two: RUN AWAY

Piper kicked opened another door. They had been looking for the room where Victor was and unfortunately, there were so many doors and all of the room looked the same. She looked at Logan who was not yet tired of opening a lot of doors. It surprised Piper that there were so many rooms in this place. She scanned the room. She sighed. No sign of Victor. She slump her shoulders in defeat. She was getting exhausted.

"Damn it," Logan cursed, as he opened another door that led into a dull empty room. He was getting frustrated, but he was not losing hope. He was really desperate to find his brother. This was just one of the obstacles that he had to overcome. He opened another door. When he saw another empty room, he just snapped. His bone claws popped out of his knuckles and he began slashing at one of the closed doors.

_Calm down, Jimmy, _Piper yelled inside his head. . Did she say that Logan wasn't tired of looking for his brother? She moved closer to Logan, very carefully. She surely didn't want Logan to be slicing her to strips with those claws.

Logan stopped what he was doing, when he realized that Piper was watching him. He was panting for the energy that he had used in his rages. He sighed and apologized to her. "I'm sorry for losing control in front of you like that. It's just that it's so annoying, since we couldn't find him." He leaned on the wall and slid down on the ground. He sat on his heels and covered his face. His claws were safely tucked away.

Piper crouched down beside him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. She gave him an encouraging smile. "I understand. You don't have to apologize."

Logan looked at her. He seemed to melt under her touch. It seemed like her genuine smile had given him a new strength and determination to find his brother. He stood up, quickly. "I think I know where he is," he announced. He sniffed the air, looking for Victor's scent.

Piper got up on her feet. "We already tried tracking him down by his scent but Maestro is messing with our minds. He's hiding them away from us," she whined. She crossed her arms as she watched Logan.

"You're right," he admitted. All hope was lost. He didn't know what to do next. With a telepath manipulating their minds, they didn't stand a chance. The only choice that they had was to open the entire door in the second floor, which was quite exasperating since there were so many doors.

Piper sighed. She bowed her head, hopelessly. She had failed. The _bad guys_ might had done something hideous to Victor and where was she to help? She was stuck in a hallway, opening all the doors with Logan who also had no idea where and how they could find him. She turned to Logan and was about to say something when Logan raised his index finger to his lips. She shut her mouth.

_Listen, _Logan told her inside her mind.

Piper listened. Everything was quiet and still. She could only hear her slow breathing and Logan's buzzing mind. She could also hear her heart thumping, so fast. When everything was so still and the silence seemed to be defeaning, she heard it. She could hear someone's feet stomping the wooden floor. It seemed like someone was in a hurry. It was coming towards them.

Logan's eyes were wide as he looked at Piper. They turned around and saw Victor charging towards them like an angry bull. They didn't know if they should be happy or be scared. "Victor!" exclaimed Logan. He planted his feet firmly as he waited for his brother. He was expecting Victor to give him a bear hug or something what brothers would normally do after being kidnapped, but instead he received a punch in the stomach. He felt like the air inside of him was knocked out. He was pinned on the floor and he came face to face with an enraged Victor.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Logan yelled at him, trying to get Victor off him.

Piper watched in horror as Victor tackled Logan. This wasn't a good sign. She couldn't know what was inside Victor's head since he had successfully shut her out. "Victor, that's your brother, Jimmy!"

Victor didn't listen to her and wasn't even planning on listening to her. He was blinded by hatred and abhorrence. He couldn't identify where his revulsion was coming from, but he just couldn't resist it. It was like somebody else was controlling him and the real Victor Creed was locked inside a cage where he could just watch in terror as he attacked his own brother and _his _Piper.

Logan kicked Victor off him. He realized that it was no used trying to talk him out. He knew that this Victor in front of him right now wouldn't listen to him, so they needed to use force to make him listen to them. The brother that he had known was gone, and standing in front of him now was the same person in the war.

Victor was hurled to the other end of the hallway. He quickly recovered from his fall and stood up. He roared, angrily. He was in an offensive stance. It seemed like everything he had known in a battle had been thrown out of a window. He took the first attack, knowing that it was a bad idea. He didn't even think of what he would do. He just followed his instinct and attacked.

Piper seemed to have been frozen on the spot. She couldn't move. Her mind was screaming at her but she still didn't know what to do. She had gotten paler and she wished that everything that was happening was just a dream. She watched two brothers clashing in front of her, in an angry battle with no reason at all.

"Get out of here, Piper," Logan ordered. He knew that what would happen next wasn't good and he didn't want to risk Piper's life. He didn't look at Piper as she made her way, slowly away from them. He watched Victor as he was running towards him like an angry bull. His brother was in all fours.

Logan's bone claws protruded out of his knuckles. He gritted his teeth. He ran towards his brother to greet him.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx**

Piper had started running as soon as she heard a crashing down from upstairs, meaning one of the brothers had gotten hurt. She was afraid. She didn't like what was happening. She tried closing her eyes and hoped that it would only be a dream, but she knew too well that that would be a lie. She hated herself for doing nothing to stop the two brothers from cutting their heads off. She hated how weak she was and how useless.

"VICTOR!!!!"

Piper tripped on her own feet as soon as she heard Logan's voice tearing the deserted warehouse. She didn't want to know what was happening upstairs. She feared that she might not take it. Her ankle was throbbing after the fall. She scrambled on her feet, ignoring the pain that shot to her sprained ankle. She wanted to get away from the noise as fast as possible. She wasn't looking ahead of her. She could feel the tears threatening to come out. She had forgotten about the possiblities that _they _might still be in the building.

_Go away._

"If I were you, I'll look at where I'm goin'."

Piper bumped on something and she bounced back slightly, landing on her butt. She looked up and gasped. Her eyes widened at the sight of Anthony Butcher standing in front of her with Maestro cowering behind him. He was grinning, ear to ear.

"Did you like my present for you?" Anthony sneered. He took hold of Piper's arm and pulled her back to her feet. His evil grin never left his face.

Piper shrugged his hands off her. She didn't like to be touch by a guy like him. She threw him a death glare, clearly showing her repugnance to him. Unfortunately, he didn't let go of her. In fact, he even tightened his grip on her arm. He chuckled, seeing the futile struggle to get out of his grasp.

"Why don't you just stick around and enjoy the show," he taunted, pulling her closer to him.

"Unhand me!" Piper screamed, struggling harder to get away from him. This was certainly not her day.

_You can do it….._

Piper froze. Someone had entered her head and talked to her. She looked at Anthony, quizzically, but she was sure that he couldn't do such thing. She turned to the gaunt man behind Anthony. He was looking at her with a placid expression on his face. Unlike the fearful look on his face when she had first seen him, he looked like he had turned into a new person.

_Oh c'mon, I know that you know what I'm capable of. _

Anthony started dragging her back upstairs and this time, she couldn't fight back to his iron grip on her arms. She was too confused at what Maestro had said. _What do you mean? _

Maestro smiled and she didn't like it. _I see, so you really don't have any idea, _he said, _Very well, you'll see, soon. I have a plan. _His smile faded and was replaced by a deep frown. He narrowed his eyes on Anthony and suddenly, Anthony let go of Piper and clutched his throat. His eyes were bulging out of his sockets and he was making a choking sound. He went down on his knees and continued making those strangled cries.

Piper's mouth dropped open as she watched Anthony in horror. She turned to Maestro who was focused intensely to Anthony. "What are you doing?" she demanded. She went towards him, but was stopped by another loud thud above their heads. She had forgotten about Victor and Logan who were fighting on the second floor.

Maestro didn't avert his gaze to Anthony. He concentrated, ignoring the distractions that the little girl was making. He needed to finish this, once and for all.

Piper, noticing that Maestro was too busy finishing off Anthony for her, started running back upstairs where Logan and Victor needed her, forgetting the throbbing pain of her ankle. This was definitely not the time to be weak. She had realized that she shouldn't be a coward and run away. She gained her confidence back when she saw Maestro standing up from Anthony. This time, their enemy was not Anthony but themselves and their fears.

She reached the stairs that led to her destination. She took a deep breath and started going up when suddenly something, or someone, fell down from the ceiling, creating a huge whole on ceiling. Piper jumped back when the _thing _that fell near her, landed beside the stairs. It seemed like the whole building shook because of the impact.

"Get off of me, you bastard."

Logan slashed wildly at Victor, tearing his brother's flesh and making him bleed, though he knew very well that the wound would heal.

Piper gasped when she realized what the _thing _was. It was Logan and Victor, still fighting.

Victor roared, getting off the little man. He picked him up by grabbing his shirt, making sure that his sharp nails would scratch his brother's skin. He threw him to the opposite side, flying passed Piper who was stunned and frozen on the same spot. She hadn't moved, even one bit.

Logan slammed hard on the concrete wall. He felt like all of his bones were crashed and broken. He slid, limply, on the floor, letting his healing factor do it's work. He hadn't noticed Victor, advancing towards him, clearly still wanting a piece of him.

Piper recovered from her shock and realized that Victor was still not finished with Logan. She gathered her courage and ran towards him, which was the most idiotic thing that she had done. She foolishly hit Victor and landed shamelessly on her butt. She didn't know that Victor would be that hard. She whimpered in pain when she felt her ankle throbbed.

She rubbed her aching butt and her sprained ankle, not knowing that Victor's attention had turned to her. His eyes held fury and rage. She looked up, noticing that it seemed like it was getting darker. Victor was standing in front of her. He was looking down at her, with a scowl and she swore that she heard him growling, lowly. It was the first time that she had heard him growl at her.

Victor was about to attack her, when he felt like something was stopping him to do so. His body and his mind were anticipating to tear her into pieces but his heart was against it. He couldn't bring himself to lay a finger on her. Something flashed inside his head. A memory.....

_The young Victor was hiding behind a bush as he watched a huge man, arrange the apples that he was selling. The man's back was turned on Victor, giving the young boy an advantage to not get caught like the last time he attempted to steal one of his apples. The only problem was the bubbly two twelve-year-olds beside him. _

"_Will the two of you stay still? Y__ou are going to ruin our chance of getting apples," he hissed._

_The brunette little girl raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, I think I didn't hear you correctly," she said, haughtily. She smirked._

_Victor groaned and rolled his eyes at her. She was really stubborn. He looked at his little brother who had quickly switched to silent mode. "Why can't you be like Jimmy? He knows how to follow orders and doesn't disrespect their elders."_

_Piper stuck out her tongue. "That's because I'm not Jimmy, and besides, he's your brother and he should really listen to you."_

_Victor scowled at her. He looked at his brother who was trying hard not to laugh. He couldn't resist the smile that was forming on his lips. He couldn't stay angry at the two kids, anyway, so what's the point of arguing with this erratic little girl. _

_Piper read his thoughts and grinned. "I really do like you, Victor," she admitted, oblivious to the expression that Victor held._

_Victor didn't know why, but he felt like his heart had skipped a beat. No one had said anything like that before, except from his brother of course. But this one was different. He knew it. _

_His brother stared at him, with wide, innocent eyes and then to Piper. "You like me too, right?" he asked, eagerly. _

_Piper nodded her head, vigorously. "Of course!" she exclaimed. Her voice was loud enough to be heard by the vendor. _

"_Ya three again! Haven' I tol' ya to get away from me and my apples! Now scram or else I'm goin' to let my dogs on ya!" he shouted at them as they started running away from him. _

_Victor took another look at Piper and smiled. In such a short time, she had captured Jimmy's and his own heart. _

Victor stared at the young woman in front of him and then to his raised arms. He dropped them, back to his sides, as if all energy that it had had been sapped by something. Why was he doing this? Why was he hurting his brother? Why was he turning into a monster? He clenched his fist. That was what you should expect to an animal like him.

Logan got up as soon as he saw Victor towering over Piper. His blood began to boil. _He wouldn't dare. _He charged towards his brother, who had let his guard down. Logan was baffled to see him staring at Piper, with his nails going back to its normal size. It seemed like he had snapped out of his rages. He stopped and just watched Victor as he silently gazed at his huge hands.

_What's happening?_ He raised an eyebrow as he sneaked up behind Victor, but Victor hadn't given a damn of it. He cocked his head to one side, as he continued to be confused. Just a while ago, Victor was trying to rip his head off, but now, he's doing nothing.

"Victor?" Logan murmured under his breath, checking if Victor had finally snapped out of his animal rages. He cautiously took another step closer to his brother. His claws were retracting, slowly, as he reached out to touch his brother's shoulder.

Victor whipped around, as soon as he felt Logan's hand on his shoulder. He was startled and baffled. He didn't know what was happening. Why was he feeling mad, furious and angry? They hadn't done anything to him. There was no reason why he should hurt them. _I can't control myself, _he concluded. _It's because I'm an animal_. He looked at his brother, and then to Piper_. _He bowed his head, feeling disgusted of himself. He didn't deserve them.

Piper slowly got back on her feet. She knew that Victor was hurting inside. She approached him.

Suddenly, Victor seemed to changed into another person. A new wave of emotion entered his mind and body. He tore away from Logan's hand and stepped back from them. He felt trapped. "Get away from me," he barked. He was struggling inside. He didn't want to be angry, but something was making him feel angry. He couldn't understand it, and he feared that he might do something bad to Logan and Piper if he continued to stick with them. He might get into a frenzy again, so he was making sure that he kept his distance from the two of them.

"Victor, what's wrong?" Logan asked. He was certain that Victor had snapped out of his wrath.

Victor just gazed at him. He couldn't find the words to say to them. He saw the wounds of Logan that were healing. It made him feel more disgusted of himself. He gritted his teeth. "I said, stay away from me," he said, bitterly.

"Victor!" Logan yelled, when he saw his older brother who started to run away from them. He cursed under his breath. He turned to Piper, whom he hadn't heard say anything a while ago. His cursed some more when he realized that she was gone. _Darn it, how did they run that fast? _

He turned around when he heard a crashing sound. It seemed like he got his answer. Victor had run straight through the windows and Piper was no where in sight. He scratched his head, exasperatingly. _They are so…._

He groaned and ran after Victor……

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See what I mean?! Sorry if this one sucks and if it's boring. I would really, really try and improve my writing…. Anyway, please review…^^


	25. Part TwentyThree: SAY GOODNIGHT

**Yey! This is the last chapter! I now officially announce this completed! WOOT! first time to actually finish a story...^^ and i know it had been a long time since i last updated...it almost seems like it had been a whole year before i even finished this..._ so as a sorry gift for all my readers, i have a surprise for you at the ending. O_O well anyway, i hope you'll enjoy...^^**

Part Twenty-Three: SAY GOODNIGHT

Victor knew that running away like that was childish but he didn't care. He just wanted to get away from them, but to be honest, he just wanted run away from himself. He couldn't take another risk of hurting them. He couldn't believe it. He had fallen into one of Anthony's trap. He slowed down and turned around. He swore he had caught someone's scent. It wasn't Logan's, but it was Piper's.

"Victor?"

He was startled to hear her voice behind him. He was certain that she might never catch up with him, since he was fast while she wasn't. He looked at Piper. His expression softened at the sight of her. He wanted to touch her, feel her, know that everything will be the same as long as she was there. But who was he kidding? He was the killer, and she would just be the victim who'll be stupid enough to come closer to a murderer, a cold-blooded murderer. No, he wasn't just a cold-blooded murderer, he was a monster. He has no right to have this girl in front of him.

Trying to block out her sweet voice, he continued running, faster this time. Just hearing her voice made him angrier to himself. The monster inside of him was coming out again. He wanted so badly to beat something or someone up. His claws dug into his palm, tearing into his flesh, making fresh blood to drip down.

"Victor! Wait!" Piper called after him, trying to catch up with him. She knew that it was no use since he wasn't the type of man who would listen to somebody. It's what he called "manly pride." But no matter how bleak her hopes of catching up with him, she wouldn't give up. Maybe it's not too late for him to get tired of running away from himself.

Victor kept on running, not caring if she was calling him.

Due to her clumsiness and lack of attention to her surroundings, she tripped on a small stone lying around. She fell flat on the ground, hitting the ground flat on the face. Her legs felt sore and tired. She wanted to cry at her own weakness, but she knew that crying would only be another sign of being a weakling.

Victor couldn't help it but turn around to check on Piper. As he thought of it, she tripped. Sighing, not able to resist helping her, he stopped running and went back. Once he was standing in front of her, he wondered if he was making the right decision. Was it a good idea to turn back? Didn't the saying say that we should always move forward? _Stand up, _he thought, not relying on his voice.

Upon hearing the familiar voice which she always loves, she looked up to see him towering in front of her. He got this torn expression on his face. _I knew it, _she sent, telepathically. She smiled, warmly, upon knowing that somehow, it made him feel better.

Without saying a word, he helped her up on her feet. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, not making eye contact.

Piper patted his cheeks, reassuringly, as if nothing had happened. Her cheery mood lightened up his sulky mood. "It's not your fault. It wasn't you back there."

Victor met her gaze, staring deep inside her eyes. "Back there, that was the true me."

Piper's stomach suddenly felt twisted. Her chest felt tight and she suddenly got the urge to hug him and comfort him. "No. This is the true you," she told him, firmly. When she realized that her hand was still touching his cheeks, she put them on her side, slightly embarrassed.

Victor noticed her sudden uneasiness and so he got this disgusted look on his face. "I hate myself," he spat. He clenched his fist once again.

"What's there to hate about you? Yes you may be an idiot, short-tempered, ugly brat, but there's still some lovable traits which you have."

Her words slightly stung him, especially about the part where the ugly brat comes in.

"No offense, though," she said. Sighing when he wasn't feeling any better, she touched his arm. "And anyway, you had protected your little brother and you'll even sacrifice your own life. That's a trait which people wouldn't hate."

When Victor heard that, he wanted so badly to tell her that he'll not only protect his little brother, but also her. She IS his life, and so he wouldn't sacrifice it. She IS something more special and important than his life. Even if it means having Logan as his rival to get Piper's heart, he wouldn't let him get her. She IS his and nobody would change his mind. Getting frustrated for not being able to say all of those things to her, he unconsciously growled.

_Why?_

"You're trying to get inside my head again," Victor grumbled, angrily. He didn't want her to know anything. It was just too embarrassing.

Piper glared at him. "I know you for a long time already, Victor, but it seems like you're still a puzzle I cannot answer. Just for once, let me know what you feel," she said, her expression softening.

Victor shook his head, irritably. "It's not that easy."

"How do you know? You haven't even tried," Piper argued.

Victor shook his head. "I'm not a man of words. I just cannot put into words what I'm feeling," he mumbled under his breath.

"Then show me."

Victor abruptly looked up at her, his eyes held confusion. How could he possibly show her what he felt if he too didn't know what he felt? Turning around, trying to block her view of the puzzlement held in his face, he looked around and scratched his head, frustrated. Why did she have to make it so hard for him to be honest? It was as if she had this enchantment over him to make him so...baffled. Piper didn't urge him further. She just waited for him to decide what he would do. Even if she wanted to read his mind, she couldn't since he had put up barriers again.

"Close your eyes," Victor spoke up, tearing the silence that fell between them.

Piper gave him a skeptical look. "Why?"

Victor rolled his eyes. "You're making it harder for me."

"Fine," Piper snapped, finally closing her eyes.

Victor took a deep breath, wondering if he was doing the right thing. Should he? Would she be mad after this? Shaking his head, as if dismissing the topic from his mind, he leaned forward, closing the gap between them. He leveled his eyes to Piper's closed ones. "If you're wondering, yes I'm an idiot," he said, before covering her soft lips with his.

Piper's eyes fluttered open at the shock she received when Victor kissed her. Her heart felt like it was about to burst and her body became rigid. She didn't know how to react, but it just felt so good to feel Victor that close. Not knowing what to do, she just let loose. She felt like she was melting under his touch.

What was he doing? Victor quickly pulled away from her. "Sorry," he said, averting her gaze.

"For what?"

"For that."

Piper shook her head and smiled warmly at him. "That's nothing to be sorry about," she said, softly. Without thinking, she took another step forward and elevated herself a little to level her eyes to his.

Victor smirked and leaned forward to savor another kiss.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Piper quickly pushed Victor away and stepped away from him, hastily. Victor, likewise. The two of the turned to the source of the voice. Logan appeared from the bushes, looking disheveled and irritable. "Here I was looking for the two of you, and this is what I get? Oh great!" he shouted, enraged. Of course he knew from the start that he had gotten the short end of the rope, but he didn't have to see this. He was exhausted and he wanted to find peace. But finding his two most important persons in the world kissing each other? That was...

"Jimmy," Piper started, but Victor raised a hand up to silenced him.

"You already know," Victor said, darkly.

Logan gritted his teeth. "Yes. I did." And he turned around, heading back.

"Where are you going?" Piper shouted after him, taking a step toward him, but Victor restrained her. He shot her a warning glance. He had seen that expression on Logan's face and you wouldn't want to be near him when he's in that kind of mood. Trust him.

Piper watched anxiously as Logan walked away, slowly. It was her fault. Maybe if she didn't cross that line then...

"Don't blame yourself," Victor muttered. "He knew."

Piper glared at him. "It's not about him knowing, Victor. It's about his feelings!"

Victor didn't say anything. It tore him to see his brother looked so...sad and disappointed. It almost felt like he had let his little brother down. _We're brothers now, Jimmy and brothers look out for each other. _Those words echoed inside his head. True, they were brothers and nothing could ever separate them, but they couldn't go on pretending that they could share something forever. Love wasn't like that at all.

"I'll go talk to him," Piper suddenly said, interrupting his train of thoughts.

"No. This is between men," Victor said, sternly, walking ahead of her. "Just stay behind me."

Piper was about to protest, but as she saw the grave expression on Victor's face, she didn't utter a word. He was right, but she couldn't explain the sudden feeling that this was so...surreal. And the fact that she was forgetting something and she couldn't remember what it was.

Victor took her hand and squeezed it gently, reassuringly, but he avoided her eyes as they walked.

"I'm afraid," Piper squeaked, not knowing why she said that aloud.

"Don't be."

Piper frowned. A ringing sound entered her ears. At first, it was just so soft that she barely noticed, but as they continued walking, the ringing got louder and more unbearable.

"Are you alright?" Victor asked.

"Of course," Piper lied, forcing a smile. In truth, she wasn't alright. The ringing had turned into screeching and the sound was making the hair on her arms to rise. A splitting headache entered her head, unwelcomed.

When they saw Logan, leaning on the trunk of a huge thick tree, Victor let go of her hand and went ahead. Piper froze, seeing her surroundings spun. She was getting dizzier and dizzier and her vision was getting blurrier. And she had this gut wenching feeling that she was forgetting something.

Logan angrily looked up, sensing his brother's scent as well as Piper's. "Just leave me alone," Logan grumbled, looking away from Victor.

"I would glad to, but you know how Piper would react," Victor said, trying to sound light-hearted.

The scowl on Logan's face deepened. "What's Piper to you?" he asked, still not looking at him.

"That's hard to answer," Victor said, shrugging.

Finally Logan looked up at him, anger burning right through his eyes. "If you're not going to take this seriously, then I'm going to kick your ass, so answer me!" he yelled at him.

Victor's lightness was instantly replaced by coldness. He narrowed his eyes on the man, who was his little brother, in front of him. "Piper's worth all the letter there is in the alphabet. There's no word to describe what she's worth to me," he told him. It was the truth and he found it embarrassing to say since it was just so out of his character. For so long, he was building this reputation, an image, which he tried so hard to stand, but now, it was just turning to dust and it was all because of Piper.

Logan sighed, covering his face with his right hand. "I knew this from the beginning. She told it before she told you," he said. "Maybe I'm just becoming like this because a lot of things had happened today-"

A scream interrupted Logan. Instantly, the two men were alert and tensed. Their eyes darted to where Piper was supposed to be, but was dismayed to see her gone.

"PIPER!" Logan shouted, anxiety and fear lacing his voice.

Victor couldn't blame Logan, he also did felt scared. Where was she? He swore under his breath. Without a word, he took off, tracking her down by her scent lingering around the air. Logan did the same.

But there was a new scent mingling with hers. It was Maestro's.

"Damn it," Logan yelled, angrily. "How could we be so careless?" He punched a tree nearby before continuing his search.

Victor growled as the scent smelled stronger and stronger. They were getting nearer, nearer the shore and to the warehouse. He ignored his brother, just focusing on Piper's scent. Somehow, he felt unusually calm. Maybe because the pure bliss he had felt from a while ago was still lingering inside him, but nevertheless his worry grew with every step he took. Too bad he didn't have enough time to celebrate.

"There they are!" Logan suddenly exclaimed, spotting two figures near the gentle lapping waves on along the shore. Quickly, without even thinking twice, the two brothers ran towards them. As they were getting nearer, Victor saw that it was Piper and Maestro. Maestro was supporting Piper.

"Piper!" Victor shouted.

She didn't look behind. The two of them went on, as if they heard nothing. Suspiciously, Victor pushed his legs harder until he finally caught up with them. Without warning, Victor slashed on Maestro's back with his deadly sharp claws, unbeknown to him that it was growing longer and sharper from his search for Piper.

Maestro stagger forward, not able to turn around. Letting go of Piper, he fell down on his knees, coughing and spitting blood. Piper fell likewise, but Victor quickly caught her before she could even touch the ground. "What the hell are you doing?" Victor shouted at Maestro.

Maestro looked at his hands, stained with his own blood as he touched his wound at his back. His hands trembling and his eyes wide. "Y-you," he stuttered, looking accusingly at Victor. "You don't know what you're doing!"

Victor growled at him. "ME? You're the one who's trying to kidnap Piper! You filthy rat." Victor yelled, his body poised for an attack.

Logan finally caught up. "Victor," he warned, trying to calm the older man. The two men may have almost the same abilities except for the part that Victor got nail like claws instead of bone claws protruding out of his knuckles. They both have heightened senses and the two of them get to know if one person is lying. But Victor wasn't the type to sit down and take things peacefully and slowly. He was a man of actions and not words.

Victor glared at Maestro, wanting to attack so badly, but Piper was in his arms. If he moved, he might hurt her. Maestro wasn't doing anything anyway, he was way too stunned to speak. He just stared numbly at his bloodstained hand.

Victor looked down on Piper. She was pale and unconscious. He was baffled. What happened to her? Suddenly, she just looked so weak. The usual youth she held in her face was gone. He was used to seeing her small face with small features, resembling almost a fourteen year old and a bright smile, but now, she looked tired and weary.

"Her real name is Patrice Felixia Thompson," Maestro suddenly said.

Victor was startled. "Huh?" he asked, dumbly. Of course he heard him clearly, but somehow, he couldn't believe that she was called Patrice Felixia Thompson. He had known her since she was twelve and yet he still didn't know her whole name. His stomach churn when he realized that her past had always been a mystery to him. He didn't know anything about her aside from the fact that she ran away from home because of committing a murder.

"She's the daughter of my brother," Maestro continued. "We have the same abilities, but hers was different from mine."

"What do you mean?" This time, it was Logan who asked.

"Her power isn't what it seems to be," he muttered, shrugging. His voice was growing weaker and weaker. "It's uncontrollable."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Before Maestro could even answer his question, a blank expression fleeted on his face before he fell flat on his face on the soft sand. And standing behind was the sinister Anthony Butcher with a scary smile which screamed kill.

"Think you can finish me of, don't you?" Anthony said, creepily.

Logan growled. He unsheathed his bone claws. "Take care of her," he whispered to Victor, referring to Piper. Before Victor could say a word, Logan charged, but Anthony was fast. He jumped off to his left, stepping away from Logan's path, narrowly missing his three deadly claws.

Not able to stop himself, Logan crashed on the rocky wall of the cliff.

"Tired?" Anthony taunted, turning to Victor. "You're the one I want."

Victor glared at him. "Are you sure? You don't stand a chance of even laying a finger on me," Victor threatened. Gently laying Piper on the sand, he stood up, retracting his claws.

"Ha!" Anthony said, spitting. "C'mon. I'm ready for you." He had a defensive position on as he waited for Victor to attack.

Victor put on his signature cocky smirk. "Bring it on." He saw Logan getting back to his feet behind Anthony. He didn't want Logan to meddle with his fight. It was only between him and Anthony. It was a fight he wanted to settle the score between them. He wanted to kill Anthony himself without his little brother's help.

"Jimmy, stay out of this," Victor shouted, not taking his eyes off his foe. Anthony just smiled, mischievously.

The two men were immediately on their offensive stance. Both of them ready to pounced on the other. This was over. Victor knew that this was only an easy win since Anthony was just a coward and a weakling. Taking the first attack, Victor ran towards Anthony, tackling him. The two men came sprawling on the sand. Easily, Victor was on top of Anthony, his claws raised, ready to slash Anthony into strips but a searing pain entered at his sides. As he checked where the pain was coming from, he saw a knife sticking on his side. He looked down on Anthony's smug face.

"Stabbed a vital part," he taunted, punching Victor on the face successfully able to take Victor off him. He quickly got to his feet and charged the off-guarded Victor who was pulling the knife off. Anthony reached him, just in time for Victor to be able to pull the knife off, but giving Anthony the chance to kick the wound. A new wave of pain entered Victor.

_This guy played rough, _he thought. But he could play that game too.

Anthony was laughing his butt off as he saw Victor's sprawled on the ground, clutching his bleeding side. "Aw. Does the kid wanna cry?" he taunted.

A smirk found its way on Victor's face. "Who you calling kid?" he asked, kicking Anthony behind his kneecap. Anthony fell on his knees as he cried in pain. "Getting a little too rusty, old man?" Victor said, reaching for Anthony, his claws scraping on Anthony's bare skin.

Anthony cried out in pain as he felt Victor's claws dug on his skin. Victor was now towering over him. With just one hand, Victor lift him up to his feet, his claws digging deeper on Anthony's skin. "Aw. Does the kid wanna cry? " Victor mimicked, throwing Anthony over the huge boulder near the water. The gentle waves lapped on the boulder, making the bottom wet and darker than the top.

Anthony hit it with his back and Victor knew that a normal man could break his ribs with that impact. Pinning Anthony down with both of his clawed hands gripping on the collar of his shirt, Victor bared his two sharp fangs on him. "Who's the kid now?" He was about to finish him off when a new voice tore in the heavy atmosphere.

"Who am I?"

Victor froze. Slowly, he turned around to see Piper sitting up on the sand, looking confused and bewildered. Her eyes were wide and innocent as if she hadn't seen the world's true form.

Unconsciously, Victor let go of Anthony and walked towards Piper. When he reached her, he knelt down and looked straight into her eyes. He didn't know what made him do that. It was foolish to leave your enemy like that since he could attack you anytime, but his emotions were just too strong for him to actually know what's happening. He reached for her cheeks, stroking them with his thumb, ignoring the fact that his claws her crusted with blood. "Piper."

"Who's that?"

Victor paused. His heart could not stop from beating so fast. "You don't remember?" This was what he had feared. He was afraid that she would forget everything. Everything that had happened between them. All those years of building this certain bond between them were gone now. "Please don't tell me that you had forgotten," he pleaded.

The more he talked, the more she got more confused. "Who are you?"

That was the worst question she could possibly ask. _Who are you? _Those words echoed inside his head. It rang inside, making him feel empty and cold. "I'm Victor, remember?" he said.

But Piper didn't seem to remember him at all. "Where am I?"

Victor's face fell. This was it. Everything he had done. Everything that had happened between them were gone and buried. The worst thing that could possibly happen.

"VICTOR!"

Before Victor could turn around and look at Logan who was running towards them with horror written all over his face, he felt something entered his body and went straight out of it. He slowly looked down. Every part of him hurts. Something cold was inside him and as he looked down, he realized that a long knife had impaled him. Anthony was behind him, smiling wickedly.

"Idiot," Victor muttered under his breath, anger boiling in his blood, but before he could even turn around to finally finish the guy off, Logan reached them and stabbed Anthony with his bone claws in straight to the heart, ending his life.

Anthony's eyes were wide in astonishment. "It's unfair," he croaked, pointing his finger feebly at Logan, but before he could even extend his arm, he fell down, face flat on the ground.

Logan looked down at his bloody bone claws and unmistakably, a tear dropped down on the sand. And just by the sight of the tear drop, a terrible realization entered Victor's head. He quickly looked at Piper whose eyes were wider than saucers, but the most horrible part was that her front shirt was stained with blood.

Hastily, Victor pulled the sword off his back. It was a painful process, but he felt numb as he looked at Piper. Her eyes were unfocused and her breathing was ragged. Her chest kept rising up and down. Throwing the bloody sword away, Victor quickly laid her head on the ground and covered the gaping wound on her abdomen with his hand. Logan was on his knees now, beside Piper. His knuckles were pulled into a fist. He was clenching so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"I-it hurts," Piper said, feebly. Her voice was raspy and they knew that she was dying already. She would survive that wound except if she had healing factors like the two brothers.

"It's alright. I'm here," Victor said, brushing his hand on her cheek, feeling its warmth. Logan reached for her hand, stroking it.

"I don't know who you are, but thank you," Piper said, her voice slowly fading. Her eyes felt heavy.

Victor bit his lower lip, trying hard not to cry. His chest felt painful. He didn't know what hurts the most. The part that this might be her final thank you or the fact that she would die with no memory of her past with them. But either way, it hurts to see her suffering. He didn't imagine that her life would cut short just like that.

Logan gripped her hand tighter. "You're always welcome," he said, smiling.

A smile tugged Piper's lips despite her current condition. "I like your smile," she told Logan. "What's your name?"

"Jimmy," Logan said, his voice wavering.

Piper's smile widened. "I like your name," she whispered, finding it hard to summon her voice.

Victor didn't want to see her like this. Tears were trying to force its way out of his eyes, but he pushed them away. He didn't want her to see him like that.

_Don't cry, _Piper told him, inside his head.

He was too sad to be surprised. _I'm not crying, _he told her.

With one final smile, she took in her last breath and after that, everything went still.

Because of grief, Logan shouted at the top of his lungs, his lower lip trembling. He couldn't believe that she died just like that. He pulled her head closer to his chest.

Victor, on the other hand, was quiet. He didn't move. He didn't say anything. He just stared, with empty eyes at the far horizon. Everything felt like a dream, a dream which he could never wake up from. The tears which were threatening to come out were gone. He felt numb. He didn't know what emotions he held. He didn't even want to look at Logan.

The wind blew. The sound of bird flying overhead echoed. The gentle waves lapped noisily on the shore. Amidst those sounds, it was quiet and still. Victor felt empty and hollow. He didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, sounds of barking dogs echoed, snapping him out of his thoughts. Victor looked around. With three dead bodies around here, the people might think they were the murderers. Laying his hand on Logan's shoulder, he said, "Let's go Jimmy. Let her go."

Logan glared at him. "How can you even say that?"

Victor didn't say anything, avoiding his eyes. He started moving, without even looking back.

Logan, with last final look, laid Piper down and closed her eyes. Before standing up, he kissed her forehead and followed Victor, his heart felt heavier than his steps.

The barking dogs were getting nearer. Victor were able to pick up some voices. They were running away again, just like the old times, but in this case, Piper wasn't with them anymore. And she will never be with them anymore. Daring himself to look back, he looked at Piper's petite body before breaking into a run.

_Why? _he thought, feeling angry. He wanted blood. He needed more. He could feel his claws growing longer and sharper. He clenched his fist, feeling that sharp claws dug on his skin. This was it. This was it. He won't let his guards down this time. He wouldn't let anyone off the hook. He wouldn't be Victor anymore. He would be Victor Creed who wouldn't be so soft and forgiving like before. He stopped, turning around to face Logan's tear stained face.

"It's you and me now, Jimmy. Whatever happens, we're not going to leave each other behind," he said. It felt like they were starting all over again.

Logan wiped his face with his sleeve and nodded his head. "Yes. We won't leave each other behind."

"And from now on, nothing can ever come between us, okay?" Victor said, placing his hands on Logan's shoulder.

Logan just nodded his head, feeling his strength sapped out from his body.

And thus, their lives continued to unfold...just like what Piper had said, _Life goes on..._

**Yeah, I know it is sad that it had ended just like that, but i hope you like the whole story..._ i'll miss the trio, but don't worry there'll be a sequel...^^ you might be wondering how's that if Piper's dead? well...who said that she's dead? O_o anyway, thank for all of your support and I hope you'll tune in to the sequel...it would take place at the time when the brothers work under stryker...^^ well anyway, hope you would like it. ^^ and remember...Life still goes on...^^**


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